It’s a new year, and the legislative session is revving up. I am excited about this year’s
Dental Action Day! University of Washington Dean, Dr. Joel Berg, has let the students off
for the day and is encouraging them to attend. WSDA’s Government Affairs Coordinator,
Michael Walsh, tells me we have close to two hundred students signed up!
Dr. Berg should be commended for foresightedness and wanting the very best for his students. This generation, with its massive student debt, must be ever vigilant in watching
trends in our profession that will affect their ability to pay that debt, pay for a practice and
provide a decent living, all while providing proper stewardship for the patients we serve.
That is a big burden to bear.
Most of our legislators and our fellow citizens do not realize the financial profile of
dentistry is changing. Being any kind of doctor is not quite as lucrative as in the past.
Most people only know what they see — the obvious signs of wealth doctors have had
in the past, and not the years of hard work it takes to get it. For some reason it is okay
for a Kardashian to display wealth but, good heavens, not a doctor. This generation must
relay these changes to our legislators. They need to see the financial reality we face. Our
students must get their story out.
Giving students insight, knowledge and skills in how to negotiate with legislators will
serve them the rest of their lives. It will serve them universally with issues outside of
dentistry, too. Take a look at Dr. Michael Spector’s advocacy concerning Israel. He is an
amazing humanitarian who actively uses his skills every day both for dentistry and his
own life. He is just one of many dentists who set a strong example for advocacy.
I think one of the worst, yet best, movies about politics was “Mr. Smith goes to Washington.” Jimmy Stewart plays a good, albeit naive, gentleman who’s steadfast heart and down
home values turn Washington around. That is what I thought of when I was driving down
to Olympia on my first legislative day. I was going to tell those legislators my truth, and
if it raised a little hell, well…all to the good. So I did! Luckily it was with a legislator who
agreed with me. It could have all gone horribly wrong, and that would have been my last
stand. WSDA worked with my naivety and zeal. I learned negotiation takes patience and
skills. I still think that right is still ultimately might, but I now know that there are more
tools than just hammers. There are times to negotiate softly and times to wage war. I know
the value of a team. That many voices preaching the same message works. Paying for lobbyists to sort out the back-story and lay of the land is money well invested.
Most dental legislative issues are worked out early by WSDA leaders, lobbyists and staff,
and never go to committee. You never hear about those. Legislators and their staff have
learned to call us first. I have never seen us caught unaware. We have always advocated
for our patients and our compassion and stewardship shows.
Currently, WSDA leadership feels we have earned a solid reputation in Olympia. That
is a huge deal. Contentious issues like midlevel providers force our legislators to have to
sort out whether dentists are protecting their patients or their pocket book. If we are not
believed, we burn what our lobbyists call “legislative capitol.” Keeping our reputation stellar has been difficult. Other organizations continue to lobby against some of our issues.
The contentious issues take the attention away from other equally-important issues your
board works on all year. We have used all the tools in our legislative toolbox not just the
hammers. We have fought on all levels to make our core values clear, and we will continue
to do so this year. I am proud of our record, and look forward to future battles.
Remember how people know what they see? Seeing your face along with the two hundred
dental students accomplishes many things. It gives us a platform to let the world know we
are strong, organized, and capable of great things. It shows the legislators that we are all
in basic agreement about dental issues and passionate enough to get up and do something
about it. It allows us to tell our story and get our side of an issue completely laid out. It
develops a relationship with the legislator which can help them turn to us first and not
less informed entities. Perhaps most importantly, it shows our students, our developing
peer dentists, how we write our own future.

Dr. Mary Jennings
Editor, WSDA News

“Giving students
insight, knowledge and
skills in how to negotiate
with legislators will serve
them the rest of their
lives. It will serve them
universally with issues
outside of dentistry, too.”

Washington state has one of the strongest dental safety nets in the nation. This is the
result of long-term collaborative efforts among dentists, community health centers, nonprofits, state agencies, and legislators. WSDA members and our partners have developed
the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, expanded dental residencies, and
completed myriad local projects centered on providing preventive, restorative, and emergent care to low income Washingtonians in every corner of the state. We, as Washington
dentists, have accomplished much over the decades and should be proud of our accomplishments. However, additional work needs to be done and it is imperative that Washington
dentists remain the driving force in improving Washington’s dental safety net.
As we all know, our dental safety net is the strongest for children (where the most
resources have been allocated) and the weakest for adults and seniors (where the least
resources have been allocated). This fact is most clearly demonstrated by the success of
the ABCD program where reimbursement rates are relatively high and where resources
have been dedicated to patient navigation and education as well as provider training. The
results of this steady and consistent funding are quite clear from two key metrics. First,
Washington leads the nation with the highest percentage (54.3%) of Medicaid-eligible
children ages 1-5 receiving preventive dental care. Second, Washington has the second
lowest percentage (14.9%) of 3rd grade students with untreated decay in the nation.
More of Washington’s Medicaid-eligible children are going to a dentist than before. The
Medicaid utilization rate for this group has increased by 6% from 2009 to 2012 (from
48.5% to 54.1%). Stability in the dental safety net for children has resulted in improved
oral health despite poor economic conditions over the last several years.
Our Association is continuing to work on improving the oral health of the state’s children. Washington is one of only two states in the nation where dental insurance for
children is now required. This means more children will have dental insurance (whether
private or Medicaid) than at any time in our state’s history. In preparation for this event,
WSDA has established the Dental Referral Program for Children (DRC program). The
DRC program will connect children looking for a dental home with several nearby referrals from the list of hundreds of WSDA member dentists who are accepting new child
patients. WSDA is able to match children to dentists based upon insurance type, language
spoken, geographic location, and several other factors. To date, over 500 dental offices
have signed up to participate in this program and we encourage you to sign up, if you have
not already done so. Simply go to www.wsda.org/pediatric-referral-program.
For our state’s most vulnerable adults, the dental safety net has had a long history of
cuts and reinstatements of benefits. This month, adult dental Medicaid funding was restored for thousands of adults. For the past three years, a comprehensive Medicaid benefit
was only provided to 38,000 of the states nearly 500,000 Medicaid-eligible adults. Most
Medicaid-eligible adults have only had access to emergent care prior to this year. The
result of this penny wise, pound foolish funding methodology was that the state only
funded dental care when conditions were at their worst. The emphasis on preventive and
restorative care that is paramount to the ABCD program is simply nonexistent when it
comes to adults.
Restoration of adult dental Medicaid funding will have a very positive impact on the
state’s community health centers, dental residency programs, and the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Medicaid funding is a significant source of revenue which
allows these programs to provide dental access to many of the state’s most vulnerable
populations. Before January, dental treatment provided by these programs to Medicaideligible adults was done without compensation or on a sliding fee schedule based on a
patient’s ability to pay.
Even though the impact of this new revenue will be of immediate benefit to the dental
safety net, it will take significant time to rebuild, let alone improve upon, what was in
place for adults in 2010. The dental safety net cannot be “turned-on” and “turned-off” like
a light switch. Safety net clinics need time to re-calibrate their resources. In the past, several clinics and dentists have been caught in the middle of treatment plans with patients
continued on page 7

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 5

Dr. David Minahan
President, WSDA

“For our state’s
most vulnerable adults,
the dental safety net has
had a long history of
cuts and reinstatements
of benefits. This month,
adult dental Medicaid
funding was restored for
thousands of adults.”

guest editorial dr. david minahan

Dental Medicaid - The Good, The Bad, The Future

‘14 dental action day
one profession, january 31 · 7:15 a.m.
one voice
Schedule of Events
Join us in Olympia for
our largest DAD ever!
DAD is a great place to
connect with your peers
and meet students from
UWSoD.
Issues facing the 2014
Legislature include:
• Health care reform
• Dental insurance issues

only to have funding eliminated. This history makes many wary of
placing too much trust on Medicaid funding being there for adult
patients in the long run. Without stable funding for adults, there
is no hope to achieve oral health outcomes anywhere close to the
results we have achieved with children.
Some believe this year’s reinstatement of adult dental Medicaid may be different than what we have seen in the past. This is
due to the implementation of Medicaid expansion in Washington
state. Currently, the state and federal government fund the dental
Medicaid program with a 50/50 percent split. Under the Affordable Care Act, states had the option to expand Medicaid eligibility
to all adults who earn less than 138% of the federal poverty level.
With this expansion, the federal government will pay 100% of the
cost of Medicaid benefits for the defined expansion population for
the first several years before eventually dropping to a 90% match.
By restoring a comprehensive dental benefit for Washington’s
existing Medicaid-eligible adults, it has allowed the state to also
provide a comprehensive dental benefit for adults who are newly
eligible for Medicaid under the federal Medicaid expansion. As a

net. Restoration of dental Medicaid will help us reduce barriers to
dental care, but with the increased number of recipients, the work
is far from finished. As President of the WSDA, I am asking each
member dentist to help us in the Association’s work to improve
the dental safety net. First, I am asking each member to treat and
bill for whatever number of Medicaid eligible adults they can accommodate in their practice. I know firsthand that the Medicaid
system can be difficult to work with - but collective action by our
entire Association can make a significant difference. I encourage
each of you to ask your staff to determine the feasibility of billing
with Provider One. The state’s Medicaid program has created a
special email for helping providers with training and billing issues. This email address is dentalprovhelp@hca.wa.gov. WSDA is
also happy to help with Medicaid billing issues in any way the Association can. For help from WSDA, please contact Emily Lovell
by emailing emily@wsda.org or calling 800-448-3368.
Secondly, I encourage each of you to help us articulate a vision
for what a highly-functioning dental safety net for adults will look
like. Please contact us to explain the barriers you have experi-

“Even with reinstatement, we all know that the dental Medicaid system for
adults is broken. According to data compiled by the ADA Health Policy
Resources Center, Washington dentists are reimbursed 25 cents for every
dollar spent treating adult Medicaid patients. This rate is well below the
national average and makes recovering the costs of treating Medicaid
patients incredibly difficult.”

result, approximately 750,000 Washington adults will be eligible
for dental Medicaid instead of 500,000 adults.
Even with reinstatement, we all know that the dental Medicaid system for adults is broken. According to data compiled by
the ADA Health Policy Resources Center, Washington dentists
are reimbursed 25 cents for every dollar spent treating Medicaid
patients. This rate is well below the national average and makes
recovering the costs of treating adult Medicaid patients incredibly difficult. WSDA also knows that the billing process through
the Provider One system has been difficult for many members to
navigate. Combined, these factors incentivize many practitioners
that treat Medicaid-eligible adults to not seek reimbursement. Unfortunately, this uncompensated care for Medicaid-eligible adults
hurts the dental profession to the extent that utilization data compiled by the state only identifies treatment billed to Medicaid and
does not recognize the total care delivered.
Today we are left in a difficult situation with the dental safety

enced in providing care to the underserved. Take the opportunity
to learn what your component society and local nonprofits are doing to improve access to dental care and help in any way that you
can. Within the last year, your Board of Directors has ensured that
considerable energy will be in developing a long-term public policy agenda for the Association. This agenda will articulate policy
for building a sustainable dental safety net. We look forward to
sharing this vision with the membership in the months and years
ahead.
WSDA is working to ensure that dentists are in the forefront of
developing the dental safety net of the future. Being proactive as
a profession in improving the dental safety net gives us the best
chance in ensuring a desirable outcome. We will be dependent
upon all of our membership to advocate for solutions to this complex issue. Together we can build upon our success in treating children and translate this success to our vulnerable adult population.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 7

guest editorial dr. david minahan

guest editorial, continued from page 5

member news website preview
Shown here: Top shot is a preliminary
view of what the new WSDA website will
look like on a desktop or laptop computer.
Clean, spare and modern, the site will
be easy to navigate and fully responsive.
Bottom image shows mock-up of the tablet
version of the site. The phone version will
look very similar.

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was always just a placeholder,” said Rob Bahnsen, Co-Chair of the Website Redesign Task Force for the
WSDA. Bahnsen had tackled a visual freshening two years ago when the WSDA rolled out The Source,
but sweeping changes in technology quickly made the site outdated — just ask anyone who’s ever tried
to access wsda.org on their cell phone. “It’s impossible to navigate,” agrees Task Force Co-chair Brenda
Berlin, “and we knew we needed the site to be fully responsive for our members to be able to use it on all
platforms —
­ from desktops and laptops, to tablets and cell phones.” Fully responsive sites adapt automatically to whatever size screen the viewer is using, from large desktop screens to small laptops and tablet
sites are stand-alone versions of the website. “The tablet and phone versions will be greatly streamlined,”
Bahnsen said, “a good example is the vertical format used by so many news resources, like CNN.com.”
While there’s still much work to be done on the new site — staffers are aiming for a PNDC rollout —
the nuts and bolts of the build is going well. Shown here are some of the page mockups — gone are the
small, cluttered boxes — replaced with oversized graphics and easy-to-use buttons for navigation.
As with any site in its formative stages, there are subtle tweaks and changes that happen when design
ideas collide with coding realities — but so far, they’re not impacting design too much. The site will be
hosted by Squarespace on their new SQ6 platform, which promises advanced functionality with easy
editing capabilities. “We’ve got the bulk of our work ahead of us,” said Berlin, noting that “All of the Task
Force members — Craig Mathews, Katie Olson, Laura Rohlman, Kainoa Trotter, Bracken Killpack, Mike
Walsh and Ruth Abate will be charged with migrating over all the content from the current site to the new
one. It’s going to be a big job, but worth it — we think you’ll love the new site!”

SIMPLIFIED, BOLD
WSDA’s new website will
roll out this summer.
What you can expect

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 9

member news website preview

“It was time for a change. The current site

member news wsda news app preview

DIGITAL SHIFT:
This month, we’d like to introduce you to the WSDA News app.
The easiest way to take your publication with you everywhere.
With the News app, current issues will populate in your phone
or tablet’s newsstand automatically, and even send you a reminder
telling you it has arrived.
The app is free for WSDA members, and available now for iPhone
and Android users. Gorgeous and easy to use, you’re up and running after a simple download (see instructions at right). But the
app doesn’t just deliver the latest issue to your newsstand and
leave it at that — it lets you clip articles* you like and send them
to colleagues easily, has live links to contributors (ever wanted to
send Dr. Mary Jennings a message after reading her editorial? Now
with the push of an icon, you’re ready to go), and even let’s you
“like” or “pin” your favorite issues with the push of a button.
The app will even allow us to integrate video and sound bites
into stories, and will give us unparalleled ability to update/follow-

up on stories published.
With tablets and cell phones dominating the landscape, offering our members a more user-friendly and beautiful way to view
our publication online just makes sense. For those of you who like
reading the publication on your desktop or laptop, Maz — the
company that produces the app — has promised a web reader in
early 2014. Until it is available, we’ll continue to use the current
web reader and email the live link directly to your inbox.
Currently, all of 2012-2013 year issues are available, more will follow.
* We’ve found that the clipping function works best when performed
from a tablet. MAZ, the creator of the app, is working to resolve resolution issues on articles clipped from smart phones.

Non-Member cost per
issue. Free for members.
As a WSDA Member, you
are an Existing Subscriber

Get the app today — it’s easy, and free!
1. The app is FREE! Go to your app store (Android and iPhone only) and search for WSDA News. Select WSDA News.
2. The first screen that will appear is shown here (above left). It has buttons that say Subscribe Now and Existing Subscriber. As a WSDA
Member in good standing, you are automatically an Existing Subscriber. Please note that individual issues will cost $499 for nonmembers, so it is imperative that you select Existing Subscriber.*
3. Once you have selected Existing Subscriber, you’ll be taken to a log in area that asks for the email address and zipcode associated with
your WSDA membership. If you are unsure of the email address and zipcode associated with your WSDA membership, call the WSDA
office and we can research it for you. 800-448-3368.
4. Once your validation is accepted, you will be asked to accept push notifications — you’ll want to accept them to be notified when a new
issue arrives. You will be able to download magazines immediately. You will need to re-authenticate your validation once a year, in April.
* If you accidentally select new subscriber and your account is charged, you can call your app store to have the charge removed.

* These figures represent savings due to membership in the WSDA,
but do not include other benefits you receive because of your membership in the ADA or your component society.
** Estimate based on loss of one week of insurance revenue.

Packed with features and functions, apps are still the hottest
thing on the mobile device landscape. Aimed squarely at younger
dentists (but we expect everyone will use it), the WSDA app will
have content that is mirrored on The Source (so you can access no
matter where you are). We’re committed to showing how serious
we are about member benefits.
• Associate & Practice Connection Service
This feature would connect members looking to hire an associate or sell their practice with members seeking employment or to
purchase a practice. A member hiring/selling would place a listing
detailing the opportunity. Once the listing was placed, it would
automatically send a notification to those looking for employment
or to purchase that have previously selected parameters that align
with that listing. Members could also browse all listings and filter
by location, opportunity, size of practice, etc.
• Discounted Group Buying
Think Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local but exclusively
for WSDA members. Suppliers could offer steep discounts on
equipment or materials to our membership as long as a certain
threshold was met to trigger the discount.
• Continuing Education Calendar
An interactive, statewide calendar of continuing education
events. Members could sort CE courses by component society,
study club, zip code, subject, number of credits, etc. and add
events to their personal calendars. Members could receive notifications for courses they have marked as favorites reminding them
as the event or registration deadline gets closer.

• Membership Directory
In the initial version, this would most likely be a basic directory
with contact and practice information. In later versions, it could
include a message board, social networking, and other interactive
components.

New Dentist Fast Track (Coming in 2014):

The New Dentist Fast Track would be offered for free to dentists 0-10 years out of school. In its pilot year, the program would
consist of six classes held over the course of a year, with each
course being held in three locations to serve more members.
Classes would be capped at 20 attendees and would cover clinical
and some practice management topics. Members could sign up for
classes a la carte. To help promote attendance, the courses would
be held on weekday evenings.

WSDA News App:

The WSDA News app is already available (see pages 14-15 for
info and how to access it), and we think you’re going to love it.
Razor sharp and easy to use on your Android or Apple mobile
device, the app loads the magazine directly into your newsstand
for instant access. Yes, you’ll continue to have a printed version of
the WSDA News (especially helpful for you to share with staff). The
app has some great tricks up its sleeve — embedded videos and
sound files, a cool clipping function, and social media connectivity that can’t be beat. Explore it today!

WSDA website redesign:

This year, we’ll banish the banal old WSDA website in favor of
a new site with a clean, modern look and increased functionality.
Look for a rollout of the new site at the PNDC.

NEW BENEFITS
OF MEMBERSHIP
Never content to rest on our laurels,
WSDA offers innovative new
programs aimed at younger dentists

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 13

member news new benefits of membership

WSDA Membership App (Coming in 2014):

cover stor y creating loyalty

CREATING
LOYALTY
What will you do
for me tomorrow?

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Dr. Doug Brajcich

Dr. Jessica Bremerman

Dr. Jason Chang

Dr. David Clark

Dr. Jeffrey Henneberg

Dr. Sabrina Heppe

Dr. Chris Herzog

Dr. Erik Kvinsland

Dr. Julie Lum

For decades, Americans were joiners. From social clubs to professional associations, we liked belonging to groups that celebrated the same things we did. Then
came the baby boom, computers, the Internet, and something the experts call
“busyness.” Our lives filled up, belonging became less important, and membership
took a hit — even memberships in organizations such as ours. That trend continues
today, and for the past two years, we’ve been working to be in front of the curve,
judiciously adding benefits to membership that would mean something — kicking
up our advocacy efforts, developing The Source and the Job Fair, upgrading our
communications, and more (for a complete list, please see pages 12-13).

Still, we’ve seen a slide — while our older members continue

to renew their memberships, younger members and those just
graduating dental school have opted out in greater numbers.
The same can be said of dentists moving to the state. Recently
we reached out to young dentists from across the state to get
their opinions and find out why they joined, what we can do to
create relevance and loyalty among young dentists, and where
we’re missing the mark. Most are under 40 and all have been
in private practice for less than a decade.
Dr. Chris Herzog, the youngest member of the WSDA Board
of Directors likes the direction we’re taking, “We’re reaching
out to members and providing information digitally, and that
appeals to younger dentists — and they’re the future of this
organization. But I’ve found that many of the more tenured
dentists in the organization have taken a liking to it and love
it, too. All is not lost.” Herzog recalls that at his first board
meeting two years ago, he was the only member with a tab-

let and a phone in from of him – all the other Board members had
the requisite three-inch stack of Board minutes, provided by WSDA
staffers. Today, Herzog says, everyone brings a tablet or laptop and a
smart phone. “Everything is being transmitted and accessed digitally.
I think we’ve become more nimble as an organization as well — we’re
not as reliant on old technologies and old ways of doing things. We’re
trying to become a more younger, fluid and technology-savvy group.”
[Ed. note: for more on tech, see pages 12-13]
Dr. Erik Kvinsland, newly-elected WSDA Board member and immediate past president of the Pierce County Dental Society, wants to
take things a little further, saying “I want to change things so that
the board is younger, to make sure that we’re still relevant as a young
organization, because if we don’t, we’re toast.”

The task at hand

To help stem the tide, the WSDA created the Task Force on Membership — a group responsible for developing a comprehensive re-

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 15

cover stor y creating loyalty

Our panelists:

cover stor y creating loyalty

cruitment and retention plan. The task force was chaired by Dr.
Ted Baer from Pierce County Dental Society, and included Ms.
Sandra Anderson, Seattle-King County Dental Society’s Director
of Membership Services, Dr. Sabrina Heppe, Seattle-King County
Dental Society, Dr. Jeffery Henneberg, Spokane District Dental Society, Dr. Randall H. Ogata, Seattle-King County Dental Society,
Dr. Daniel Tremblay, Seattle-King County, and Dr. Michael Warner, Clark County Dental Society.
The group was charged with trying to identify reasons for the
decline in membership and for making recommendations for actions to help reverse the losses — particularly among younger
members. Heppe relates, “They brought us in from around the
state, from all different age groups, to work on what members
needed. I enjoyed the experience — the people on the task force
were really nice, bright, and full of ideas. I’ve always had really
good interaction with everyone at the WSDA.” Henneberg agrees,
“They were great people,” he continued, “and it made me feel better about being involved with the WSDA. Everyone cared — on
some committees, people just show up and don’t do much – not
this group. It was a very positive experience.”

benefits — especially all the new benefits that staff has been working on­— the obstacles to joining are only financial, and we have
payment plans to help alleviate that. ” On the other hand, Dr. Julie
Lum thinks we could be doing better, saying “When it comes to
younger dentists, we’re all still paying off our loans, so money is an
issue. I’d like to see discounted memberships continue for longer
than they currently do.”
For most of the people we talked to, membership was deeply
ingrained in them in dental school, and becoming a member once
they were out on their own seemed a natural progression. Drs.
Dave Clark and Jeff Hennenberg, who both attended dental school
at Loma Linda University, voiced the same sentiment — that membership in the ADA was not ever presented as an option, it simply
was. But Dr. Doug Brajcich didn’t join immediately upon moving
here from the Boston area. Brajcich explains, “I was involved in organized dentistry in dental school, but our time was limited when
we began to start our practice –it wasn’t that I didn’t want to join
right away. It was always my plan, but it’s not cheap and I had to
reach the point where the benefit matched the investment. It’s not
just the financial part of it, though. If you want to reap the rewards

“Without a united voice we run the risk of becoming like the AMA, and it’s clichéd to say it, but we really could. The AMA is completely insignificant now, and
everyone thought that they were going to do wonderful things and keep everything together, but the reality is that they no longer have a unified voice.”
— Dr. Erik Kvinsland

Recommendations from the group were far-reaching and have
already been set in motion, along with some other changes that
were already in the works. This year, we’ll add apps for both membership and the WSDA News, merge our database with Aptify, the
ADA’s national database (which should save us money and create a
unified database language nationally), redesign the WSDA website
(and with it, the websites for NORDIC, WDIA and WOHF), and focus our attention to our younger members by offering six free CDE
courses in three locations across the state (for more on these new
benefits, please see pages 12-13). Additionally, we’re offering six free
classified ads to any young dentist looking for work, have scheduled
two more Job Fairs – one in February, another at the PNDC in June
— and are working on Groupon-like discounts on big ticket items
for dental offices to premiere at about the same time. So much for
resting on our laurels.
But that still doesn’t get at the root of the issue: why aren’t younger dentists joining? Herzog thinks he has the answer, “I think the
biggest obstacle to membership is really just not knowing what it
implies. I feel like once you become a member and you see all the

of membership, you have to put something into it, much like you
do at your practice. With our family and our practice, we’re finally
at the point where we can enjoy the meetings, the process, and
the people.” Dr. Jason Chang, who did his undergrad work in Toronto, Canada and went to University of Detroit Mercy for dental
school, said the same thing — that ASDA membership was the
reason he joined the WSDA — that, and advocacy. He relates, “I
definitely think that in terms of the political aspects and advocacy,
organized dentistry is a great thing. I don’t participate as much as
I should, but I definitely appreciate the people who go to Olympia
on our behalf. I know how important advocacy is to the profession
— it’s vital that dentistry has a voice in politics.”

Advocacy is king

Everyone said that advocacy on behalf of dentists in the state is
a huge benefit — regardless of the fact that every dentist practicing in Washington benefits from our work in Olympia, whether
they belong to the WSDA or not. Kvinsland, a second generation
dentist from Pierce County, says “But unless you’re involved with

1 6 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org

board, nobody really likes the idea of a midlevel provider, but our
members are able to look at the work done by the WSDA and say,
‘The money I’ve spent supporting the state association has really
paid off.’ I would say that’s the biggest thing that we’ve done as an
Association.”

Fighting words

As we said earlier, no matter how key our advocacy efforts are,
they benefit all dentists, whether they choose to belong to the
WSDA or not. So why join at all? Kvinsland opines, “That’s the ageold question. I’m not sure exactly what you say other than to try to
get them involved and open their eyes to what their contribution
could mean to dentistry. Without a united voice we run the risk of
becoming like the American Medical Association, and it’s clichéd
to say it, but we really could. The AMA is completely insignificant
now, and everyone thought that they were going to do wonderful
things and keep everything together, but the reality is that they no
longer have a unified voice. Sometimes you just feel like smacking people when they tell you they get the benefits without being
a member.” Heppe, agrees — though she doesn’t share Kvinsland

“I’m not confrontational enough to tell someone they have to join the WSDA to
help support the advocacy efforts that benefit every dentist who practices in the
state, but I would hope that they care enough about dentistry and their livelihood
to join forces with WSDA members and pay their fair share – especially if they are
just starting out in their career.”
— Dr. Sabrina Heppe
ers who do, and that they are looking out for our best interest.”
Brajcich says, “Look, we’re really small fish in a big pond, and
without the organization we wouldn’t have the lobbyists and the
staff members doing the work they do for us in Olympia. There are
a lot of important issues that have come up and will come up, and
I know that the staff in the WSDA office are going to go to Olympia and fight for us. I see the action they’re taking — things that I
wouldn’t necessarily have the time or energy to do on my own, so
for me that’s the benefit that makes me sleep a little better.” Herzog
agrees. He’s forged close ties to his local legislators and has taken
a strong role in advocacy going back to his dental school days. “I
think the biggest tangible benefit of membership is advocacy,” he
says. “Obviously, we have been assaulted for the last two years on
the midlevel provider issue. Kellogg thought that the Association
would be an easy target — because of the political makeup of the
legislature — but they didn’t plan on encountering the buzz saw
they walked into. Of the first five states targeted for midlevel provider legislation, we have been the most successful in preventing
it so far, and that’s an incredible coup for our members. Across the

pugilistic tendencies — saying “I’m not confrontational enough
to tell someone they have to join the WSDA to help support the
advocacy efforts that benefit every dentist who practices in the
state, but I would hope that they care enough about dentistry and
their livelihood to join forces with WSDA members and pay their
fair share – especially if they are just starting out in their career.”
If not for advocacy, the reason they should join, of course, is for all
the other benefits of membership in the WSDA. From technology
to education, community and endorsed company discounts, the
WSDA provides plenty of return on investment. See page 12 for a
complete breakdown.

Community

Time and again, we were told that community and camaraderie
were important aspects of membership. For Kvinsland, it is second to advocacy, and Dr. Jessica Bremerman agrees. Bremerman,
a Yakima Indian working in Toppinish with the IHS, commutes
40 minutes each way to work in the clinic, notes that it can be

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cover stor y creating loyalty

an organization like the WSDA, you can get lost and overrun by
companies, government, and people with different ideas about
what dentistry should be. As an individual you have zero power
to influence, but as an organization you can put your members together and have some significance to shape dentistry the way you
want it to be. You can have a lot more control by being involved in
the WSDA.”
You don’t have to be a political junkie to appreciate the value
of WSDA’s advocacy. Like Chang, Clark isn’t taking an active role
right now, but knows that down the road, he will. Still, the value
is there, “I may not be the best-case example because I don’t take
advantage of a lot that the organization offers,” Clark said recently,
“but the thing that I value the most is what got me into the WSDA
in the first place — the legislative end of things – securing the
future of dentistry through advocacy. The WSDA lobbies beautifully on our behalf, and it’s comforting to know they’re doing so
much for us.” Henneberg concurs, saying, “I most appreciate the
big picture stuff – that the WSDA looks out for me and advocates
on my behalf. The legislative piece may not be something that I
completely embrace at this point, but I know that there are oth-

cover stor y creating loyalty

isolating being a dentist, but that is magnified when you work in
the public sector. For her, membership in the WSDA has been a
lifeline, a connection to specialists and mentors she didn’t have in
the clinic setting. She explains, “Getting involved with the Yakima
Valley Dental Society has been a huge benefit to me, especially
because of the mentorship by older dentists, whom I met through
component meetings. It has been great to make the connections
and forge the relationships I have with the specialists in town
because I don’t always have access to them in public health. My
patients can’t always go to an endodontist, so to have their mentorship has been great.” Brajcich agrees, adding that, “It’s nice to meet
your colleagues and bounce things off each other — people who
can keenly understand what you go through on a daily basis. They
don’t tell you or teach you how to run a business in dental school,
it’s something you have to learn on the fly.”

reasons. Bremermen and her husband read everything on their
tablets, so the WSDA News app sounds great. Kvinsland knows the
membership app will be a key tool for the organization, even if he
doesn’t think it will goose our membership numbers a whole lot.
He says, “It’s exactly what we should be doing. It will make the
organization more relevant to young members, but I don’t think
we’ll see a huge influx of members because of it” Herzog is keen
on the app because, as he says, “As a younger dentist, we’ve been
spoiled by technology and options — without having to have to
leave our house or practice — we can go online and find 85 options on Google.”
The Source continues to be beneficial to members for information, forms, webinars and discounts. This year, we’ll fold its
content into the app, as well, putting all of its resources at your
fingertips, no matter where you are.

Educational opportunities

WDIA, NORDIC, and more

Each of the busy young dentists we spoke with was excited
about the Dentist’s Fast Track (see page 13), a new program that
will bring free CE across the state, targeted specifically to young
dentists, and all praised the value of the PNDC. Says Lum, “At this

People sometimes forget that we own WDIA and part of NORDIC, and that those two entities alone generate enormous nondues revenue. Matt French and Kerri Seims at WDIA will come
to you, review your policies and make recommendations for your

“I was involved in organized dentistry in dental school, but our time was limited
when we began to start our practice. If you want to reap the rewards of membership, you have to put something into it, much like you do at your practice. With our
family and our practice, we’re finally at the point where we can enjoy the meetings, the process, and the people.”
— Dr. Doug Brajcich
point in my career, CE is probably the most important benefit of
membership that you offer. We used to fly back to Boston for the big
conference there, but once we had children that just got harder to
make happen. The PNDC has been great for us here – and the CE
that you’re going to be offering free to young dentists sounds even
better!” This year, expanded PNDC offerings include a Wednesday
evening lecture on transitions specifically for young dentists, and
the third installment of our popular Job Fair. For more information
about the PNDC and Job Fair, see pages 34 and 26, respectively.

Technology and communications

One thing’s for sure — we communicate with our members — a
lot. Between the WSDA News, the Blog, monthly WSDA Updates,
Legislative calls to action through VoterVOICE, PNDC Updates,
and the like, some might even say that we communicate too much,
and not personally enough. Drs. Clark and Chang both extolled
us to personalize our communications, “Young members are particularly good at discerning between personal emails and mass
emails,” said Clark, “I get a lot of communications from the ADA
and because of time constraints most of them don’t get read.”
On the tech side, both the membership app and the The WSDA
News app are generating real interest — for a number of different

business, your family, and your future. WSDA General Counsel
Alan Wicks provides free assistance with legal questions general
to the practice of dentistry, and questions regarding rules and
regulations pertaining to the practice of dentistry. Within limited
time available, he may also help with specific contract review or
business agreement questions. For a quick overview of all the benefits of membership (and their value), please see pages 12-13.

Have a look, and give us feedback

A list of the programs we offer currently and will be rolling out
this year appears on pages 12-13. If you know of ways we can either
better reach young dentists or better serve our existing members,
speak up! We value your input AND your participation, and we’re
actively seeking out ways to make this organization more relevant.
As Dr. Herzog says, “At the end of the day, our organization has to
be focused on the 28-year olds just getting out of school who are
going to be members for the next 40 years. We need to keep them
happy and meet their needs. We’ll always have a printed version
of the News, and someone will always answer questions by phone
at the Association office, but those are antiquated technologies and
we’re looking to the future, not the past.”

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We asked our subjects for their “Blue Sky” ideas to make the WSDA
better. Some of the things they asked for are already in the works.
Dr. Jessica Bremmerman –

“I love the social aspect of the local meetings, and if there was a statewide social event, I think that
would be fantastic – some of my classmates and I are meeting up at the PNDC as sort of a mini-reunion.
I really enjoy the social aspect of membership.”

Dr. Jason Chang

“We need to start looking out for each other to help lower costs. A lot of the choices are driven by suppliers, but often you can lower costs by looking outside of the conventional suppliers. As dentists, we
sometimes think we have to go to the big companies – Burkhart, Patterson. But while they’re good companies, they’re looking out for themselves, not dentists. They’re going to build as many cabinets as they
can for you, but honestly there are companies out there that do look out for dentists. You don’t have to go
with Dentrix or Eaglesoft, necessarily – you can go with Opensoft, which is essentially free, or Curve, if
you want to go cloud-based. It’s important to get informed about everything that’s out there. The world is
changing rapidly, and I’d like to see WSDA present these other options to its members, too.”

Dr. Julie Lum

“No matter your perspective on corporate dentistry, they have an advantage when it comes to buying
power – they can go to the vendors and say ‘We have 20 offices, what are you going to do for us?’ and
force the companies to compete against each other. If we could figure out a way to group together to
buy, we could have the same advantage that the corporations have.” [Editor’s note: We’re rolling out a
Groupon-like buying strategy this summer. See page 13 for details]

Dr. Doug Brajcich

“There are several things I wish we had – as a state I wish we had more meetings and functions. On
the local level we meet pretty frequently, but I think the state community could benefit from that. As
a small practice, I would like to see us effect the economies of scale a bit by implementing some kind
of group buying effort. The economy has taken a little dip, but the price of supplies has continued to
go up, so if the state could be proactive on that it would help the little guys and would add value to the
membership. [Editor’s note: We’re rolling out a Groupon-like buying strategy this summer. See page 13
for details].

Dr. David Clark

“Everyone will have a different response, and I’m a unique snowflake like everyone else, but what
would be most valuable would be help with marketing and patient acquisition. We do a pretty good job
in my practice, but there’s always room for improvement.”

Dr. Erik Kvinsland

“I think we need to continue to figure out what turns younger members on, how they communicate,
and what’s important to them. I know that’s broad, but I really do think that’s the key. I’ve always
thought that the emails that we send out should come out at a certain time, and should be in bullet form
with links to more complete info – let people expand or collapse what they want.”

Dr. Chris Herzog

“I feel like a way to really integrate more people into committee memberships is to use technology like
Skype and others to make meetings available to people like me who live 280 miles away, so we can take
part in a meeting – not just on the phone, but to be there, watching and participating. I believe that it
will open up a broad reach to our membership, not just the I-5 corridor, which is a huge thing. I think
the WSDA is heading down the right path, they’re looking at it correctly, we’ve allocated money in a way
that will be used perfectly so that we can accomplish this in a cost-effective manner. If we keep focusing
on this it’s going to be a seamless transition for the younger dentists coming into organized dentistry.”

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cover stor y creating loyalty

BLUE SKY

regulator y electronic health records

Electronic Health Records: No mandate in 2014

You may have heard rumors about a federal mandate that requires dentists to begin utilizing electronic health records (EHRs)
or have “paperless” offices by 2014. These rumors are not accurate.
There are no mandates that require electronic health records in
2014. However, dentists who accept Medicare patients and are eligible for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will face a payment
reduction in their Medicare reimbursement for failure to implement “meaningful use” of EHRs starting in 2015.
The payment reduction starts at 1 percent and increases each
year that a Medicare eligible professional fails to demonstrate
“meaningful use” through the implementation of EHRs, with
a maximum reduction of 5 percent. If you are dentist accepting
Medicare patients, visit http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Basics.html for
information on the Medicare EHR Program. If interested in registering for the program, visit https://ehrincentives.cms.gov/hitech/
login.action.

WSDA is not aware of any mandates for EHRs in Washington
state at this time. However, there are incentives in place to encourage health care professionals to transition to EHRs.

Am I eligible?

In order to be eligible for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program,
providers must see at least a 30 percent Medicaid patient volume.
Patient volume is calculated by dividing the number of Medicaid
encounters during a continuous 90-day period in the preceding
calendar year by the total number of encounters in that same period. Patient volume is a percentage derived from a fraction with
a numerator of Medicaid encounters and a denominator of total
encounters. Providers must also be enrolled and billing through
ProviderOne.
If you are interested in learning more about the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, please check our blog on Monday, December 23,
2013 for more information about the program and how to get started.

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Over the years there have been significant changes with the
transition to electronic health records (EHRs). In an effort to offset
the initial costs and to incentivize providers to make the transition
to EHRs, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
was authorized by federal legislation to create the Medicare and
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. These programs provide eligible professionals and hospitals with incentive payments for using
EHRs in ways that positively impact patient care. Since Medicare
does not typically have a dental benefit, the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will be most applicable to dental offices.

The Medicaid Incentive Program is currently being offered in 43
states, including Washington, and provides incentive payments to
eligible healthcare professionals during their first year of participation and continued demonstration of “meaningful use” for up
to five subsequent participation years. “Meaningful use” is being
defined by the CMS as “use of EHRs in a way that positively affects
patient care.”

Participants report for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program by
attesting through their state Medicaid website. The reporting period is 90 days for the first year of participation in the EHR program and 1 year subsequently. The reporting period for the first
year must be 90 consecutive days within a calendar year (January
1st – December 31st) and the following reporting period must be
the entire calendar year. There will be a special reporting period in
2014, meaning that regardless of a provider’s stage of meaningful
use, they will only be required to demonstrate meaningful use for
a 90 day EHR reporting period. This is due to the fact that in 2014
all participating providers must upgrade or adopt a 2014 certified
version of EHR software.

Am I eligible?

Where can I find 2014 certified EHR software?

What is it?

See eligibility requirements on facing page

What are the incentives?

Eligible participants can receive up to $63,750 over a six year
period should they choose to participate all six years; years of
participation do not have to be consecutive. In their first year of
participation providers can receive an initial incentive payment of
$21,250.00 for the adoption, implementation or upgrading of EHR
technology (AIU process). Following their first year of implementation, providers can receive incentive payments of $8,500.00 per
year for up to five years, so long as they continue to demonstrate
and report their meaningful use.

What are the requirements?

In their first year of participation, providers can adopt, implement, or upgrade their current EHR technology to demonstrate
“meaningful use” (AIU process). In order for providers to remain
eligible for EHR incentive payments they must meet the meaningful use criteria each year. The EHR program consists of three
stages of meaningful use; Data Capture and Sharing, Advanced
Clinical Processes and Improved Outcomes.
Providers can participate in the program for three years under
Stage 1 regardless of when they begin the Medicaid EHR program.
After three years, providers will begin Stage 2. There are currently
no rules or requirements written for Stage 3. CMS anticipates releasing proposed rulemaking for Stage 3 in the fall of 2014, with a
final rule with requirements for Stage 3 following in the first half
of 2015. Eligible providers who have completed at least two years
of Stage 2 would then begin Stage 3 in January 2017.
Under Stage 1, providers must complete 14 core objectives, five
menu set objectives and nine total clinical quality measures. To
view Stage 1 core and menu set objectives, visit here: http://www.
cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/downloads/eP-Mu-tOC.pdf.
Under Stage 2, providers must complete 17 core objectives,
three menu set objectives and nine clinical quality measures. To
view Stage 2 core and menu set objectives, visit here: http://www.
cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/Stage2_MeaningfulUseSpecSheet_TableContents_EPs.pdf.

The Washington State Legislature has continued to experience
turnover, similar to what it saw in 2012 and 2013. Currently, three
of the four legislative caucus leaders have only been in their caucuses’ top leadership post for less than a year. In the House Republican
Caucus, Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-Snohomish) will begin his first
regular session as Minority Leader. In the Senate, Senator Sharon
Nelson (D-Vashon Island) has replaced Ed Murray as the Minority
Leader (Ed Murray was elected as Mayor of Seattle in November).
The Majority Coalition Caucus will continue to control the Senate in the upcoming session. In 2013, two Democrats formed the
coalition with the chamber’s 23 elected Republicans. In 2014, the
coalition will include one additional Republican as Senator Jan
Angel (R-Port Orchard) won the special election for the 26th legislative district seat vacated by Congressman Derek Kilmer.

Health Policy from Governor Inslee

Prior to the session, the Inslee administration announced its intent to introduce legislation aimed at improving health outcomes
for children, state employees, and Medicaid recipients. This legislation includes several proposals ranging from a publicly accessible claims database managed by the Washington Health Alliance, the establishment of performance measures in health care
purchased by the state, and the establishment of a healthy kid’s
wellness incentive. At time of print, this legislation had not been
released, and its potential impact on dentistry could not be determined.

Definition of Dentistry

Washington law very clearly prohibits the corporate practice of
dentistry and the ownership of a dental practice by anyone other
than a licensed dentist. Section 18.32.020(3) of the Washington
Revised Code states that anyone who “owns, maintains, or operates an office for the practice of dentistry” must be a licensed dentist in the state. In addition, Washington courts have ruled that
non-dentists with the ownership power to influence the operation
of a dental practice are effectively practicing dentistry without a
license (profession corporations wholly owned by dentist shareholders are allowed).
WSDA has concerns regarding any legislative effort intended to
modify the current definition of dentistry to allow for ownership
of dental practices by non-licensed individuals or business entities. WSDA and its leadership have and will continue to support
the current law regarding the ownership of a dental practice and
oppose any changes that would allow non-licensed individuals to
influence or interfere with the professional judgment of a licensed
dentist.
Washington law should continue to ensure that dentists are first
and foremost accountable to their patients. Non-dentist share-

holders are not answerable to patients in the way dentists are and
therefore should not be allowed by law to make decisions that
have the potential to directly or indirectly affect the proper diagnosis and treatment of a patient.

Dental Midlevel Providers

HB 1514, HB 1516, and SB 5433 all died in committee in 2013
and are automatically reintroduced in 2014. WSDA remains opposed to all three bills and any other legislation which creates new
midlevel dental practitioners. Throughout the last year, grassroots
dentists, lobbyists and staff have been discussing the Association’s
opposition to this provider model with legislators. The Association
believes a new workforce model does not address the underlying
issues with the dental safety net and will not improve access to
care. Instead, the Association is working to expand the state’s network of dental residencies and make improvements to the state’s
Medicaid and loan repayment programs.

Capital Funding for Residency Expansion

WSDA will continue to support “bricks and mortar” matching
funds for community health centers to expand clinic capacity to
accommodate new dental residency positions. Currently, dental
clinics in Toppenish and Walla Walla want to expand their dental
residency positions but are limited by clinic capacity. These clinics are both part of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic system. WSDA will continue to work with community health centers
across the state to expand capacity for dental residency positions.

Independent Board for Dental Hygienists

The WDSHA is seeking legislation to create a dental hygienist
board with disciplinary and rule-making authority independent
of DQAC and DOH. Currently, dental hygienists are regulated
by the Secretary of Health with input from the Dental Hygiene
Advisory Committee. Washington is one of only two states that
regulate dental hygiene through state departments and no state
has an independent board of dental hygiene with regulatory powers. WSDA has concerns with the legislation as it would create two
rulemaking bodies with overlapping authority. The Association
is open to supporting the incorporation of dental hygienists onto
DQAC as is done in most states.

Dentistry Prepayments (Insurance Premium Tax)

Currently, dental insurance carriers are allowed an insurance
premium tax exemption for certain dental services. This means
that prepayments for dental services are exempt from the 2 percent premium tax rate and instead are taxed at the lower B&O tax
rate of 1.5 percent. There has been some discussion of a legislative committee to raise the tax rate on prepaid dental insurance.
WSDA is monitoring this issue and will support the continuation
of the current taxation structure.

Continuing Education Requirement for EFDAs

The Department of Health and DQAC have requested legislation to authorize DQAC to write a continuing education rule for
Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries (EFDAs). Currently, EFDAs do not have a continuing education requirement. Dentists,
Hygienists, and Dental Anesthesia Assistants are all required by
law to complete continuing education. This legislation does not
establish a required amount of continuing education hours; it simply provides DQAC with authority to write a continuing education
rule for EFDAs.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 23

legislative legislative over view

The Legislature convened its 60-day short session on Monday
January 13, 2014. Legislators will be working on several fiscal and
policy issues in 2014 including transportation, better integration
of mental health into healthcare financing and delivery, medical
marijuana, and health care legislation proposed by Governor Inslee. This session is the second regular session of the two year
biennium and only provides legislators 24 days to get policy bills
voted out of their committee of origin. In other words, legislation
not voted out of committee by February 5th is dead for the year.
The following is an overview of what the Association will be tracking in 2014. Check for updates online at www.wsda.org/blog.

In an effort to generate more interest in the UW Mentor Program (a
collaboration with the WSDA), the event received a reboot the past two
years that has resulted in dramatic increases in both mentor and student
involvement. This year, more than 100 students and mentors attended the
20th annual Mentor Reception held in November at the Burke Museum.
First and foremost, the yearly event is fun — with drinks and food
provided, it’s a relaxing night that encourges everyone to let loose a little,
and get to know each other better. Most of the year, busy schedules only
allow for phone calls and emails to be exchanged between mentors and
students. Currently, 140 students participate in the mentor program and
they are encouraged to communicate with their mentors on all aspects of
dentistry, education and practice management.
If you would like more information about the program, please email
Laura Rohlman at laura@wsda.org.

Photos courtesy of Steve Steinberg/UWSoD

membership mentor reception

Mentor Reception Gets a Revamp

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Photos courtesy of Steve Steinberg/UWSoD

membership mentor reception

MENTOR RECEPTION

membership job fairs

“This was the best
way to find a job”
— Dr. Katie Jankow

“It was nice to be
able to find people
who were looking
for what I had to
offer without having
to go through a lot of
expense and hassle”
— Dr. John Barrett

SECOND
ANNUAL
JOB FAIR
The Job Fair returns! Last year’s inaugural event was a resounding success — numerous connections were made between dentists
hiring associates and those looking for positions, and 91 percent who
attended rated their experience as either good or excellent!
Join us on Friday, February 21* from 3:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the
WSDA office in Fremont and meet with fellow WSDA members who
are looking for positions, actively hiring, or selling their practice — all
at one event.
The Job Fair, open only to WSDA members, will feature:
• A “speed dating approach” that matches you with as many as 12 candidates/hiring dentists

“I thought it
was very well
planned, and I
was especially
impressed by the
quality of young
dentists I met at
the event”
— Dr. Don Koontz

• Q&A with Dr. Rich Seims, a practice transitions expert
• As many as 50 candidates and 26 selling/hiring dentists together at one event

Info for Members hiring an associate or selling their practice:
• Only 10 more slots available. Register here: www.wsda.org/dental-job-fair-opportunities
• Can’t attend but are hiring/selling? Register here: www.wsda.org/dental-job-fair-opportunities

Info for Members looking for employment or practices to purchase:
•
Only 50 slots available. Register here: wsda.org/dental-job-seekers
Questions about the event?
• Please contact Laura Rohlman at (206) 973-5218 or email her at laura@wsda.org
• More details will be available soon regarding the opportunities that will be represented
at the event.
* Another Job Fair has been scheduled during the 2014 PNDC. Please see page 26.

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Drs. Miki Suetsugu, Nathan Russell and Heather Ronngren

On January 10, The Leadership Institute kicked off the year with the first of six events
scheduled for 2014, the Past President’s Roundtable and Association background session.
The Institute was designed to foster new leadership in the WSDA by pairing participants
with WSDA Board members who mentor them throughout the process. Members selected
to this year’s class are Dr. Heather Ronngren, North Central District Dental Society; Dr.
Nathan Russell, Kitsap County Dental Society; Dr. Miki Suetsugu, Seattle-King County
Dental Society, each chosen for their commitment to organized dentistry and their dedication to advocacy. Program mentors are Dr. Gary Heymoto, Dr. Lorin Peterson, and Dr.
Bryan Edgar.
Participants met with the Association’s senior staff members individually to understand that staff person’s role, and that of their department within the WSDA. Later they
met key past presidents of the WSDA including Dr. Vic Barry, Dr. Doug Walsh, Dr. Mark
Walker, Dr. Danny Warner, Dr. Jeff Parrish, and Dr. Rod Wentworth for an extensive Q
& A session about the WSDA.
Besides the scheduled events, participants are encouraged to meet privately with their
mentors during the year to discuss perspectives, leadership issues and questions, and to
further enhance the collaborative nature of the leadership process. The programming
goal is intended to educate and illuminate the leadership process, without overwhelming
participants with too many activities.

Here is a list of the remaining events for the year:

January 30-31 - DentPAC Meetings/Dental Action Day (DAD)

Spring - Committee Meeting of Participant’s Choice

June 19-20 - Board of Directors Two-Day Meeting

September 18-20 - House of Delegates

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membership leadership institute

2014 Leadership Institute kicks off the year

Member Company:
American Dental Sales
Practice Valuation Study Group
Institute of Business Appraisers

MARKETPLACE
Each issue, the WSDA
News will run up to
30 free classifieds for
dental students and new
graduates of dental
schools. To qualify, you
must be a member of
ASDA or the WSDA.
Restrictions apply. Please
contact Laura Rohlman
at laura@wsda.org for
more information.

GENERAL DENTIST — Seeking long-term associate position. I strive for excellence in patient care
and satisfaction. Looking for position in Snohomish County. Email me at erincmerrifield@gmail.com
or call 425-417-2391.
GENERAL DENTIST — Seeking associate position in private practice. Focused on providing conservative dental care with the patient’s best interest at heart. Confidence with providing dental care to
children. Fluent in Mandarin. Email maoj@uw.edu.
CONFIDENT AND PERSONABLE — student (graduation 6/2014) seeking associateship with path
to ownership. Interested in practices north of downtown Seattle. Six months experience as provider in
CHC. Email matt1485@uw.edu for resume.
GENERAL DENTIST — Seeking associate position in private practice. Responsible, patient, compassionate, enthusiastic. Interested in Seattle&Eastside area position. USA and EU license. View my CV
at http://chalakov.net/yankach.pdf Email: yanka@chalakov.net.
GENERAL DENTIST — Seeking associate position in private practice. Confident, friendly and patientfocused. Interested in Puget Sound area but all opportunities welcomed. View CV at http://tinyurl.
com/ny28pts. Email me at deaster5@uw.edu.
GENERAL DENTIST — Seeking long-term associate position in private practice. Interested in greater Seattle area. Compassionate, dynamic, patient-focused. CV available at http://tinyurl.com/
mxg25ng. Email me at estherradds@gmail.com. 206-972-3374.
VERY MOTIVATED — and personable graduate seeking associate-position on the East Side. Comfortable doing OS, Endo, Pedo, Perio surgery, and Pros. Willing to work extra days and great addition
to any staff. Email: alexwardian@gmail.com.

Welcome New Members
Please join WSDA in welcoming the following new members into the community of organized dentistry

ethically speaking
In the last couple of weeks, I have been asked a few times about patient referral
programs. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how it can be done ethically. I
have been asked if a dentist can promote new patient referrals by offering current
patients such things as gift cards or account credits for each new patient they refer.
So, how can we ethically reward our patients for their kind referrals?
Let’s look at how our ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct addresses it. Section 5.F.4. REFERRAL SERVICES speaks to this topic:
“A dentist is allowed to pay for any advertising permitted by the Code, but
is generally not permitted to make payments to another person or entity
for the referral of a patient for professional services.”
In addition, Section 4.E. REBATES AND SPLIT FEES notes,
“Dentists shall not accept or tender ’rebates’ or ’split fees.’”
A split fee occurs when you offer to return a portion of the fee you collect to the
referral source. A rebate is essentially the same thing. A discount on future fees,
credit on their account, or cash back to the referring party would also apply.
There are also the following Washington state laws that deal with rebates and split fees:
RCW 19.68.010: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or association…. to pay, or offer to pay … to any person licensed by the state of Washington to engage in the practice of …dentistry, …and it shall be unlawful for such
person to request, receive or allow, directly or indirectly, a rebate, refund, commission, unearned discount or profit by means of a credit or other valuable consideration in connection with the referral of patients to any person, firm, corporation or association…. Any person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
RCW 19.68.020: The acceptance directly or indirectly by any person so licensed of any rebate, refund, commission, unearned discount, or profit by means
of a credit or other valuable consideration whether in the form of money or otherwise, as compensation for referring patients to any person, firm, corporation or
association as set forth in RCW 19.68.030, constitutes unprofessional conduct.

RCW 19.68.030: The license of any person so licensed may be revoked or sus-

pended if he or she has directly or indirectly requested, received, or participated
in the division, transference, assignment, rebate, splitting, or refunding of a fee
for, or has directly or indirectly requested, received, or profited by means of a
credit or other valuable consideration as a commission, discount, or gratuity in
connection with the furnishing of medical, surgical, or dental care…
Now that we have the legal and ethical guidance for how to proceed, it should
be noted that there is no ethical prohibition on rewarding a patient for a referral.
A thank-you note with a nominal gift card would not, in itself, violate our Code.
However, problems could arise if you were to offer a reward or credit up front to
anyone who refers a new patient. An example would be a sign in your office or on
your Facebook site offering $100 for each new patient that people send your way.
Another example might be a contest with a trip to Hawaii for the person who refers the most new patients. The difference between these examples and the simple
thank-you is that the thank-you is a spontaneous gesture, not contingent on the
referral; whereas, the others involve an upfront offer with the intent to exchange
patient referrals for a reward. From a legal perspective, a thank-you gift of a large
amount might be construed as a rebate; so, consultation with your legal advisor
would be prudent if you have any concerns.
For more in-depth information on questions like this, I welcome you to attend our Ethics Panel at the Pacific Northwest Dental Conference in Bellevue, June 13, 2014, and be
a part of the discussion. If you have any questions that you would like addressed in that
venue or in this column, please email them to dentalethics@gmail.com.

PPO
NEGOTIATING
WEBINAR
Negotiate low PPO fees and increase your PPO insurance
reimbursements 10-40% in 90 days using seven proven steps
Speaker: Ben Tuinei, Everest Advocates
Date: February 12, 2014
Time: Noon
Cost: $0 for WSDA members and their Staff
It’s no secret that most dental professionals and their staff don’t have an extra 40 hours in their back pocket to chase down insurance
representatives in an effort to analyze and negotiate their reimbursements. The truth is, PPO fee negotiating is not very well-known or
understood. Before Ben’s done, you’ll learn seven easy and proven steps that will equip you to effectively negotiate better reimbursements from many of the PPO plans you contract with. Please note that some of the larger insurance companies, like WDS and

Regence will not allow you to negotiate.

Attendance is encouraged if any of the following is true for you.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

You didn’t know fee negotiating was even possible
You want to learn how to increase your PPO Insurance Revenue
You are considering adding or dropping certain PPO plans
You are considering adding an associate
You run a practice where insurance is a large source of your revenue
You feel like your Fee for Service status is losing you patients each month
You have tried to negotiate in the past but have gotten no where

SCAN TO REGISTER!

Learning Objectives:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Spend your time gathering the right data for success!
Leverage your leverage! Do you have any? How do you use it?
Who you know and what you know matters!
The art of negotiation
Should you sign that contract? What to review first…
How often should I do this?
Monitor performance, track your progress!
Know the regulations in your state

Ben Tuinei began his dental career in 2007 at a small dental corporation in Phoenix, Ariz., managing all insurance- related functions. Ben
created systems and operating protocols and restructured a 12-person billing department that improved collections from a low 65% to 98%. At
the same time, Ben learned how to effectively negotiate with third-party payers, boosting annual insurance-related revenue nearly $1 million for a
team of only ten general dentists.
Ben opened Optimum Dental Solutions in 2009 to serve the needs of dentists seeking assistance to improve their insurance reimbursements
and has worked with nearly 900 dentists since then. In 2012 Ben expanded Optimum Dental Solutions to meet the demand the dental industry
was asking of him and rebranded the business as Everest Advocates, adding two new partners and opening a new headquarters in Salt Lake City,
Utah. Ben and Everest Advocate

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 33

cde wsda offers ppo negotiating webinar

Complimentary Webinar for WSDA Members

pndc news highlights/new programs

Practice Transition Seminars for all Dentists at the PNDC
Wednesday, June 11

Thursday, June 12

What Transition Plan is Best for You · Code 37

Practice Transitions for Sellers · Code 38

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Audience: Dentist and spouse

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Audience: Dentist and spouse

Richard D. Seims DDS

Richard D. Seims DDS

This course is designed to help young dentists review different
professional options. Attendees will be provided with different
perspectives related to employment, “startups”, and purchasing
an existing practice. Preparing for a professional career, including guidelines for employment agreements, practice purchases,
both general and specialty practices will be deliberately and
purposefully discussed. Attendees will have an opportunity to
ask questions at the conclusion of the course.
Note: Dinner is provided

Attendees will hear about how to prepare for retirement,
both from a personal satisfaction perspective and from a practice sale perspective. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask
questions at the conclusion of the course.
Learning Objectives:
• Professional and personal options for the next step in life
• Preparing the practice for sale in the present environment
• Explore and review the entire process of selling a practice
(general and specialty)
• Choosing professional advisors

Learning objectives:
• Understand employment contracts and expectations
• Learn the basics of practice values
• How to present yourself to lenders and “sellers”
• Understand different lending options
• How to consider the potential for a “startup”
• Consider preparations for “later Years”
• How and when to pick professional advisors

About Dr. Rich Seims
Dr. Seims graduated from the University of Washington Dental School. After a tour in
the U.S. Army, including the Vietnam War, he returned to practice dentistry in Seattle.
After selling his practice, he began a career as a practice broker.
Currently, Dr. Seims is a dental practice mentor and coach and facilitates sales
when a purchaser has been identified by a seller.

Job Fair at the PNDC
Friday, June 13
Job Fair

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Room: Hyatt Grand ABCD, Olympic Tower
The PNDC is proud to present the WSDA’s third Job Fair,
an event connecting dentists looking to transition out of
their practices or hire associates with dentists interested in
buy practices or looking for associateships. This personal,
welcoming event is designed to give participants ample time
to talk and get a sense of needs and compatibility.
Join us on Friday, June 13 at the Hyatt Regency Grand
Ballroom ABCD at 8: 00 am and meet with fellow WSDA
members who are looking for positions, actively hiring, or
selling their practice — all at one event.

If you are loooking for an Associateship or to buy, visit:
http://www.wsda.org/pndc-job-fair-seekers/

The Job Fair, open only to WSDA members, will feature:
• A “speed dating approach” that matches you with as many
as 12 candidates/hiring dentists
• Q&A with Dr. Rich Seims, a practice transitions expert
• As many as 50 candidates and 26 selling/hiring dentists
together at one event

If you have an Associate position, or want to sell, visit:
http://www.wsda.org/pndc-job-fair-opportunities/

$10 reserves your seat in these popular lectures!
Last year, seating for many popular lectures filled
quickly, leaving some of you out of luck. With interest
high in the following lectures, we’ve decided to sell
some reserved seating for just $10
Reserved seating is optional and only available in
advance for the following lectures at PNDC. Beyond
these reserved seating options, all lectures remain free
on a first-come, first-served basis.

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU:
JUNE 12 & 13, 2014 · FIND YOURSELF AT THE PNDC

PACIFIC NORTHWEST
DENTAL CONFERENCE
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON

Details

• Seats will be held up to 20 minutes after the program begins, after which time seats will be released if
the room is full
• Ticket must be presented and is nonrefundable if
lost, stolen, or forgotten
• Reserved seating is grouped together in a designated
section so we can provide better service

This is an 82-year old white male with a two-year history of a
slowly enlarging lesion on the right lateral border of tongue. The
lesion is well demarcated with rolled border. It is mostly pink and
has a lobular/papillary appearance. There is a smooth white patch
to its posterior. The lesion is described to be 1.3 x 1.8 cm in size
and is “sore” but not painful. The patient’s past medical history is
significant for cigarette smoking for approximately 30 years; however, the patient quit smoking 42 years ago.

This “Clinical Corner” case was contributed by Dr. Peter Vander
Ven of South Sound Oral Medicine in Federal Way, Wash.

Test your knowledge!

An answer to this case study can be found on the University
of Washington’s Web site at http://www.dental.washington.
edu/departments/oral-surgery/case-of-the-month.html. Click
on “Case of the Month” and look for the January 2104 entry.

Dr. Raymond Damazo named ADA’s
Humanitarian of the Year for 2014

Our very own Dr. Raymond S. Damazo
(WSDA’s 2013 Citizen of the Year) has been
named the 2014 ADA Humanitarian Award
recipient, the ADA announced recently.
“Dr. Damazo has spent more than 45
years alleviating human suffering and improving the quality of life and oral health
of individuals abroad,” ADA President
Charles H. Norman said recently, “including serving remote villages along the Amazon and developing and implementing a
mobile clinic that provides free, modern
care to people living in the bush areas of
Kenya and Tanzania.”
The ADA Humanitarian Award was
launched in 2007 and is the Association’s
highest humanitarian honor. This prestigious award recognizes dentist members
who have distinguished themselves by
outstanding, unselfish leadership and at
least a ten year commitment to their fellow human beings in the field of dentistry,
through the dedication of extraordinary
time and professional skills to improve the
oral health of underserved populations in
the United States and abroad.
Dr. Norman will present Dr. Damazo
with the ADA Humanitarian Award dur-

ing the Opening General Session of the
ADA 2014—America’s Dental Meeting in
San Antonio in October. He will receive a
$5,000 donation to the dental charity/project of his choice and a bronze statue.

UW oral and maxillofacial
surgery chair plans lecture series

Dr. Thomas Dodson, Professor and
Chair of the University of Washington Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
(OMS), has announced the launch on Jan.
15, 2014 of “OMS Grand Rounds,” a wideranging series of lectures of high interest to
the OMS community.
OMS Grand Rounds will be held from 6
to 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday
of each month in Turner Auditorium, Room
D209 of the UW Health Sciences Center.
Lectures will cover topics such as management of challenging dentoalveolar and
pre-prosthetics cases, surgical correction
of facial trauma, presentation and management of head and neck pathology, and treatment of complex craniofacial deformities.
OMS Grand Rounds is free and open
to the public. While the lectures will be
geared toward the OMS community, they
will also be of interest to pre- and postdoctoral dental students, UW dental alum-

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 37

ni and other practicing dentists, as well
as to physicians specializing in disorders
of the head and neck region, Dr. Dodson
said. Continuing-education credit will
be offered for registered attendees. Each
50-minute lecture will be preceded by a
light meal.

UW Winter Gala

Join the UW SoD for the 2014 Winter
Gala presented by the Washington AGD
and the UW School of Dentistry on Saturday, February 1st, 2014. Enjoy a night
out in downtown Seattle at the Columbia
Tower Club on the 76th Floor of the iconic
building. The Gala includes dancing, beverages, bites, a photo booth, live DJ, silent
auction, specialty swag bags and more.
Proceeds and donations support the UW
School of Dentistry Class of 2015. Tickets
are $100 for Washington AGD members,
UW SoD Alumni, and other dental professionals, and can be purchased online at
uwsodgala.brownpapertickets.com. If you
would like additional information about the
event please visit www. uwsodgala.com.
Contact David Ludwig at dlud@uw.edu
for all other inquiries, including sponsorships and donations to the Silent Auction.

newsflash issue 3, january 2014

newsflash

clinical corner issue 3, january 2014

Slowly enlarging lesion on the right lateral border of tongue

3 8 路 th e wsda ne w s 路 issue 3, januar y 路 2014 路 www.wsda.org

Professional Management
Associates, Inc

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LISTINGS
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operatories, 20 new patients
a month, 3 days a week

Downtown Seattle
Periodontal office

Very established, beautiful office,
4 days a week, 5 operatories
with lots of extra amenities,
collections over 1 million

Kitsap Peninsula Office
4 days a week, great location,
state of the art facility,
4 operatories

We’re looking for
Associates for the
greater Seattle area.
Call us today!
Concerned About Fraud?
We can help review your records in a
discrete manner. Call for a free list of items
to help thwart embezzlement in your office.

Dear Editor Thanks to Dr. Barry for the great insight
in his editorial about post graduate ethics
requirements for licensure. As a member of
the Board that brought that resolution to
the House of Delegates, I was disappointed
to see that part of the resolution removed
before going to a vote.
The truth is, we have a significant ethics
problem in our profession. Just ask anyone
who has served on DQAC for at least a year,
and I’m certain they will be happy to give
you some true life examples. After passing
the initial jurisprudence exam, how many
of us seek out information about changes
in laws that affect our practice? When is
the last time you or your neighbor read the
ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct?
Not only do laws and rules change often,
but our Code is revised on an ongoing basis. Educating our profession in ethics, jurisprudence, and professionalism is sorely
needed. Dean Joel Berg has made a commitment to making this a thread throughout the new curriculum at the UWSoD, and
as Dr. Barry pointed out, there is CE available right now to make this happen after
graduation. I can only hope that members
like Dr. Barry will keep this idea alive, and
a future House will realize the importance
this brings to our profession.
— Dr. Rod Wentworth
Dear Editor —
Jeff, thanks again for keeping our CNS
dental neurons clicking. Am working on a
plan to teach our larger Zoo primates to be
dentists, this in a one-two year drill/fill/bill
crash program. Main problem emerging is
that while they seem able to handle most of
the mechanical aspects of procedures, they
have difficulty understanding the biological, psychosociological and bioengineering
aspects of why. That may take longer.
Most foreign BDS type dental degree programs require six years, the last being a required clinical practice internship, usually
serving a national socioeconomic need.
The outstanding BDS type students accepted into the UW IDDS program initially
recieve extensive laboratory and pre clinical training.
Also, ADA approved post-grad dental

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 39

programs often require graduates of 3 year
dental schools (which squeeze 4 academic
years into three years, yep, students are in
training full bore over the holidays and dog
days of summer) to additionally take a GDR
or have several years of practice experience.
Now I was hoping you would write
something about starting up a VDS (virtual
dental school) program, where one could
forego the rigors, inconvenience and costs
of formal training, by web tripping thru
the internet. Am told this is how my neurosurgeon was trained. Should I be worried?
Yours for all things serious,
— Jim McGraw, VDDS
Dr. Parrish responds
I’ve seen some dentistry that looked like
it must have been done by some of your primates, but most of it was Russian. On the other
hand, I had a Russian patient who had four
nice posterior bridges done in a hotel room on
the weekend by some illegal Russian dentist! So
all very hard to generalize. For good or for ill,
much of dental school probably won’t be taught
on the net in our lifetimes, but I’m sure lots of
the booking could be.
The few countries where I have traveled and
interacted with local dentists are five year post
high school plus two years of public service,
but, then again, their med schools are often
that same time frame. I’m not suggesting that
all dental schools look to that model or the
USC/UOP model, but somewhere there must
be a happy medium for many. As Joel and I
have talked, not all schools necessarily need
to be fully research equipped, but every one of
them needs to know the research and have the
attitude this is more than “monkey see, monkey do” to come back to your Woodland Park
proposal. There are probably several ways to
skin this cat (keeping it zoo-ish) but, bottom
line are our standards for accreditation and
certification of the “completed student”. That’s
a challenge we will always face.
But don’t get me started on the entire ethics
picture; that, I fear, we as parents failed miserably in instilling with our kids and now our
grandkids. Dental schools are a terrible place
to try to patch that deficiency.
Glad I keep you reading!
— Jeff

letters to the editor wentworth, mcgraw

letters to the editor

wohf news give kids a smile, phone-a-thon

Planning a Give Kids A Smile event? Let WOHF help!
Every February, dentists around the state hold Give Kids a Smile
events, offering free oral health care to children without access to
dental care. The Washington Oral Health Foundation would like
to help make your event successful.
At the WSDA and the Washington Oral Health Foundation,
we’d like to help make your events accessible, successful and
smooth running. We can help promote your event on the WSDA
website, give you tips and pointers for GKAS events, and tell your
event story in the WSDA News — we welcome the chance to promote the work you do in your practice to help your community.
Additionally, the ADA can provide some of the supplies necessary
to make your GKAS event a hit.

Dr. Lina Kim

Free toothbrushes and supplies

The Foundation may be able to help your group get free supplies
(including toothbrushes, disposable instruments and hygiene kits,
depending on the scope of your event) for your GKAS event.

Want to help in other ways?

If you’re not planning your own event but would still like to be
involved, consider doing a school presentation in your community with help from the Foundation. WOHF can coordinate with
your local school and provide all the materials you need. Call Ruth
Abate at 800-448-3368, or email her at ruth@wsda.org.

2013 Toothapalooza

It’s that time of year again… WOHF Phoneathon

Again this year — more callers

The WOHF Phoneathon has always been the organization’s biggest fundraiser, carried

out by a cadre of dentists dedicated to the work the Foundation does around the state.
Last year, the Foundation organized callers from around the state who rang up their colleagues throughout the month of March on behalf of the Foundation. “The results were
spectacular,” said Dr. Dec Barnes of WOHF, “and this year, we’re hoping to keep up the
good work.”

Reaching out

Barnes has a second goal for the event: callers will pick your brain about what is needed
in your community. “Along with the appeal, we thought it was more important than ever
to ask dentists what we can do for them,” he said.
WOHF wants to support communities across the state to fulfill its mission of improving
and enhancing oral health in Washington — but to be effective, the organization needs
ambassadors in every corner of the state, illuminating the needs specific to your community. The Foundation provides programming and distributes oral hygiene kits to schools,
organizes and serves as liaison between providers like Medical Teams International vans
and the communities in need, and provides resources for WSDA members to use in their
communities to help get the word out about oral hygiene and tobacco cessation.

Tell WOHF what you need

So, this year, when you get a call from a dentist volunteer asking you for a donation to
the Washington Oral Health Foundation, take a moment to think about what needs your
community has, and give that information to the person calling. “Tell us how we can work
together and achieve that goal. We’re eager to partner with member dentists across the
state.” For more information, contact Ruth Abate at ruth@wsda.org.

4 0 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org

JiWon Kang

WOHF welcomes two new staff members
The Washington Oral Health Foundation recently added two
new staff members to its roster. Ms. Launa Lea will be the organization’s Oral Health Education Programs Coordinator, and Ms.
JiWon Kang will perform various duties with WOHF for a year as
part of the Americorps Vista Program.

demonstrates excellent writing and grammar and shows great enthusiasm as well as a genuine commitment to service learning.”
The WSDA and WOHF are proud to have JiWon as a member of
the team for the next year!

Ms. JiWon Kang

Ms. Lea comes to the Foundation having most recently served
as the Education Program Coordinator for the Aurora Commons,
where she worked with individuals and families impacted by
homelessness, addiction and prostitution along the Aurora corridor. Of her role with the organization, Lea said, “I had this amazing opportunity to take a theoretical idea and take it into a physical space. We had no rules or boundaries — they trusted a small
group of us to make it happen. The goal was to create a neighborhood living room where homeowners and the homeless would
share a physical space and experiences together in a place where
they could be regarded equally.”
Lea has a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary education and
her masters degree in sustainable communities. In her role with
the Foundation, she will perform school visitations throughout
the state, bringing oral health education to communities that
might otherwise go without. Additionally, as a former teacher, Lea
brings a set of skills to the table that will help her grow and develop school programs for the organization. We are proud to welcome
Ms. Lea to the Foundation!

Kang comes to the Foundation from the University of Washington, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in general biology
and medical anthropology. While in school, she was a resident advisor and avid volunteer. She volunteered at the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center and assisted the UW’s Office of Minority
Affairs and Diversity Recruitment and Outreach staff by encouraging minority students in target communities to pursue higher education. In addition to all that, she volunteered weekly as a partner
to an elderly person with a disability and has used her skills as a
second degree black belt in Taekwondo to train youth in sparring
techniques.
Kang comes to the Foundation through the Americorps Vista
program, and will be with the Foundation for one year. The local Americorps Vista coordinator said, “JiWon is a local applicant
who shares a personal commitment to closing the gap in health
disparities and is far ahead other applicants in the use of culturally competent language and a general long standing social justice
involvement. She is fluent in Korean (her family immigrated to
the US when she was nine) and also speaks basic Spanish. She

The first step in protecting yourself?
Knowing you need to be vigilant about
safeguarding your personal information.
Awareness fosters behaviors that reinforce
prevention.
1. Know the people and entities with whom
you share your information;
2. Store and dispose of personal information
in a secure fashion – especially anything
containing your Social Security number;
3. Ask detailed questions before sharing
personal information – Why it’s needed;
how it will be used and safeguarded; the
consequences of not sharing it.
Be aware of the signs that could indicate
a breach in identity security. Some include:
• Bank withdrawals you cannot explain
• You don’t receive bills or other mail
• Merchants refuse your checks
• Debt collectors call you about debts that
are not yours
• You find unfamiliar accounts on your
credit report

IDENTITY
THEFT

What you need to know

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 43

• Medical providers bill you for services/
procedures you didn’t have
• The IRS informs you that more than one
tax return was filed in your name
continued on page 45

the source mercer advisors

Identity theft is escalating – both in rates
of occurrence and manner of breach. Sadly,
most of us know someone – if not ourselves
– who’s been subjected to some degree of
identity theft.
Adding insult to injury? Given the growing repertoire of cyber infiltration methods
used by today’s hackers, physical possession of your ID, credit/debit cards, or bank,
brokerage, and investment statements is
no longer required. Havoc can be wrought
on your finances, credit, and even medical
history, without anything ever leaving your
wallet or files.

Don’t make things easy for identity
thieves:
• Social Media: Anything accessible
through social media should not be used
as a password (ex: your own, relatives’, or
pets’ names, birthdates) or as a security
question to retrieve a forgotten password
(ex: mother’s maiden name, birth city,
name of high school)
• Junk Mail: Opt out of pre-screened credit and insurance offers for 5 years or, better
yet, permanently! Call 1.888.567.8688 or
go to www.optoutprescreen.com. A reassuring note: the three nationwide credit
reporting companies – Equifax, Experian,
and TransUnion – operate the phone number and website.
• Tech Disposal: Computers and mobile
devices should be wiped clean of all personal data before recycling, donating, or tossing. Overwrite the computer’s entire hard
drive and remove the memory or “SIM” card
from a mobile device. It’s also a good idea to
return the device to its factory-installed settings, thereby erasing all contact lists, call/
email and web search history.
• Online Safety: Before sharing any personal or financial data online, ensure the
presence of one or both of the following:
a ‘lock’ icon on the status bar of your internet browser or a URL that begins with
https:// - the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.
Install a firewall on your computer as
well as anti-virus and anti-spyware software. If you have a laptop, don’t use the automatic login feature that saves your user
name and password, and remember to log
off of any site once you are finished.
• Trash Tips: When in doubt, shred it –
receipts, checks, expired credit cards, any
kind of statement that contains personal
information. Also, destroy labels on prescription bottles before tossing them.
• Wi-Fi Wisdom: A public wireless network is just that – PUBLIC. Wait to transmit personal or financial information from
a secure network – not from a coffee shop,
library, airport, or even a hotel room.
• Stranger Danger: If you don’t recognize
the sender, don’t open emails or attachments. Opening anything from a stranger
could expose your system to a virus or

spyware that captures your passwords and
keystrokes. These emails are called phishing emails. Instead, tag the email as junk
and delete it.
Likewise, if you are asked for personal
information on the phone or via email,
don’t provide anything unless you initiated
the call or email. Instead, look up the company’s customer service number online,
call them directly, and ask if they initiated
a request for information.
Finally, decline any “free” health, financial, investment, etc. service or product
that require you to provide personal, financial, or insurance information in order to
be eligible.
• Taxpayer Tips: The IRS doesn’t initiate
contact with taxpayers via email to request
personal or financial information. If you
receive any such communication, do not
respond; rather, forward it to the IRS at
phishing@irs.gov.
• Free Credit Reports: You have the annual right to a free credit report from each
of the three nationwide credit reporting
companies. By staggering your requests,
you can review your credit report every
four months.
• Password Protocol: Never use your
Social Security number as a user name
or password. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters – the
longer, the better. It is also important not
to use the same password for more than
one account. Be creative and substitute
numbers for letters (ex: ‘to be or not to be’
becomes 2B0rn0t2B; ‘baseball’ becomes
Ba53ba11.)

Repair

If your identity is stolen, do the following immediately:
Place an initial fraud alert
Call one of the nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax 1.800.525.6285,
Experian 1.888.397.3742, or TransUnion
1.800.680.7289. Ask that a fraud alert be
placed on your credit report. That company will then contact the other two – saving you time – and direct them to flag your
credit report with a fraud alert. An initial
fraud alert lasts for 90 days.
Order your credit reports
Each company’s report is slightly dif-

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 45

ferent so it’s important to request a report
from each company. You will be asked
unique questions to confirm your identity
when placing your order. Read each report
carefully – if you see mistakes or signs of
fraud, contact the credit reporting company immediately.
Create an Identity Theft Report
An Identity Theft Report can help you get
fraudulent information removed from your
credit report and stop collection attempts
for debts caused by identity theft. Two documents comprise an Identity Theft Report:
• A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Affidavit – file a complaint with the FTC at
ftc.gov/complaint or call 1.877.438.4338;
• A police report – take your FTC Affidavit to your local police, or the police where
the theft occurred, and file a police report.
Secure a copy of the police report.
Inform Your Bank and Credit Card Carriers
Acting quickly limits your liability for
unauthorized charges.
Your liability for unauthorized credit
card use is limited to $50. If you report the
loss before the card is used, you aren’t liable for any fraudulent charges. Further, if
your account number, but not the physical
card, is stolen, you are also not liable for
any unauthorized use.
Your liability for unauthorized ATM/
debit card use depends on how quickly you
report the loss or theft. If you report before
it is used, you have no liability. If you report after it has been used, the following
limits apply: $50 within 2 business days of
learning of the theft; $500 if more than 2
business days but less than 60 days from
statement receipt.
If you are interested in learning more
about protective measures you can take
to safeguard your identity, please contact
Yolanda Carbajal, CFP® in our Bellevue
branch location at 888.642.4636 or at
yolanda.carbajal@merceradvisors.com.
Sources: IRS, Federal Trade Commission.
Mercer Global Advisors Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and delivers all
investment-related services. Mercer Advisors Inc. is the
parent company of Mercer Global Advisors Inc. and is
not involved with investment services.

the source mercer advisors

identity theft, continued from page 43

4 6 路 th e wsda ne w s 路 issue 3, januar y 路 2014 路 www.wsda.org

wdia news life insurance

THE NEED FOR
LIFE INSURANCE
Even if you are experiencing some financial challenges, Life Insurance should never be
thought of as a non-essential expense. If a family loses a main breadwinner, the financial
consequences could range from simply challenging to totally devastating. Life Insurance
is one of the most important things you can have to ensure that your family will be taken
care of if something happens to you.
Forty percent of American households would immediately have trouble meeting their
basic living expenses if a primary wage earner passed away. Life Insurance coverage is
an essential tool for protecting your family and your practice by making sure that your
loved ones will be taken care of in the event of your death. Life Insurance ensures that
their financial future is not left to chance.
Having coverage can mean the difference between your family keeping their family
home, your children having money for college, and your spouse having a means to retire.

Here are a few good reasons to purchase Life Insurance:
• You are the main income earner for your family and they are dependent on your
income. If you were to die tomorrow, your family would have trouble meeting their
basic needs.
• You have significant debt due to the home mortgage, student loans, practice loan, etc.
that you do not want to burden your family with if you passed away tomorrow.
• You do not want your family to be burdened with estate or other taxes that would
reduce the estate your family receives when you die.
• You have a special needs child who depends on your income for his or her care,
probably for the rest of his or her life.
• You are saving for your children’s private school or college education. If you passed
away, the kind of education that you would like to provide for them would be
financially out of reach.
Although people are told by their financial planner, spouse and others that they need
Life Insurance, they still find reasons for putting off purchasing a policy. But WDIA’s
advice is to buy it now. First, the premiums for the same coverage will increase the older
you become, so it will be less expensive for you to buy it now versus next year.
Second, the longer you wait, the more you risk developing health issues that could
increase your premium or make you ineligible for coverage at all.
If you are ready to look at your life insurance options, please contact Washington Dentists’ Insurance Agency at 206-441-6824 or 1-800-282-9342.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 47

Matthew French
Director of Insurance Services
WDIA

“Forty percent
of American households
would immediately have
trouble meeting their
basic living expenses if
a primary wage earner
passed away.”

in memoriam drs. christianson, pihl, savage, taylor

In memoriam
Dr. Daniel Miles Taylor

Dr. Daniel Miles Taylor passed away the
11th of November 2013 at his home surrounded by his loving wife and children.
He was born in Long Beach, California on
April 7, 1950 and was the oldest of four children belonging to Dr. Louis G. and Dorothy Taylor. As a young man, he excelled in
sports and academics, both of which would
lead him to success in life. He completed
an undergraduate degree while becoming
a two-time Academic All-American playing football for Brigham Young University.
After marrying Cynthia Holbrook in Los
Angeles, Cal. the 27th of April 1974, he
completed the Dental program at the University of Southern California, followed by
the Orthodontic program at the University
of Washington. Dan and his family settled
near Snohomish, WA where he practiced
orthodontics and involved himself in the
community. He became president of the
Washington State Society of Orthodontics,
a member of the American Board of Orthodontics, a member of the Edward H. Angle
Society of Orthodontists, and an adjunct
professor of Orthodontics at the University of Washington. Following his retirement, he and Cindy visited their children,
making enough memories to last a lifetime.
He enjoyed snow skiing, stamp collecting,
snorkeling off the beaches in Hawaii, but
most of all spending time with his family.
A devout member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Taylor served a
two-year mission to Taiwan as a young man.
He would go on to serve in many church
service and leadership capacities, inviting
people to believe in Jesus Christ. All those
who knew him will miss his patient, kind
demeanor, quiet dignity, capacity for action,
disciplined approach, and congenial sense
of humor. Taylor is survived by his wife
Cynthia; his children, Andrew, Amy, Ann
Marie, Christine, Michelle and Juliana; his
mother, Dorothy; his siblings; Steven Larkin, Andrew, Suzanne and David; and his
20 grandchildren.

Dr. John Andrew Savage

On Tuesday night, November 12, 2013
our loving husband, father, brother and
dentist lost his life to kidney cancer while
doing what he loved, hunting in Montana
with two of his sons.
He was born on January 17, 1954 in St.
Louis, Miss. to Bob and Charlotte (Miller)
Savage.
Savage graduated from Langley High
School in 1972. He completed a B.S. in
Zoology and a B.A. in Anthropology at
the University of Washington in 1978.
He studied forensic anthropology at Central Washington University. He earned his
dental degree in 1986 from the University

of Washington. In June 2013 he earned
his fellowship in the Academy of General
Dentistry. Dr. Savage was a member of the
American Dental Association, WSDA and
the Yakima Valley Dental Society.
He met his wife Susan while working
in Bethel, Alaska where he was a commissioned officer in the US Public Health
Service at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Native
Alaskan Hospital.
They moved to Ellensburg in 1995 and
started Mountain View Dental Center,
PS. He and Susan were married August 5,
1995 in Fort Wayne, IN. His family was his
world and his impact will be felt for generations to come.
Savage is survived by his wife Susan and
their eight children, Tyler, Trevor, Justin,
Riley, Tommy, Andrew, Alison and Kelby.
He is also survived by his father Dr. Bob B.
Savage, his brother Rory (Jennifer) Savage
and his sisters Steffi (Mike) Davis, Jennifer (Bob) Burnell, Jill (Frank) Litwiller and
Becky Savage. John also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces
and nephews.

Dr. William Christianson

Everyone who knew Chris whether as
Bill, Chris, Doc, Dad, Grandpa or Great
Grandpa appreciated his great sense of humor and his stories. We will all miss him
immensely.
Dr. William “Doc” or “Chris” Christianson died at the age of 88 in Coupeville
Washington on December 5th, 2013 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years,
Patricia, in Coupeville, Washington; their
daughter Kim Christianson of Cathlamet;
sons Vic in Bellingham, and Ron and his
wife Vicky of Shoreline; grandchildren
Kristin Iacono and her husband Mikeof
Everett, and Andrew and Nicholas Christianson of Shoreline, Washington; great
grandchildren Isabella and Athena Iacono
of Everett, WA.
Christianson was preceded in death by
his granddaughter Elisa Kaye, his sister
Phyllis Parsons and her husband Don Parsons.
He was born September 13th, 1925 in
Seaview, Washington to Victor and Orpha Christianson, grew up in Longview
with his sister Phyllis, and graduated from
R.A. Long High School in 1943. He was
an accomplished musician at an early age
as both a pianist and trombone player. A
favorite memory was playing as a teenager
with a band that christened the Kalakala
Ferry. He learned to snow ski on Mount St.
Helens.
Christianson served in the Army Air
Force after high school during World War
II and was part of his unit’s band.

He graduated from University of Washington with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery
and began his dental practice in Mountlake
Terrace soon thereafter. He also attended
college at Lower Columbia and Montana
State.
He established his first dental practice
in Mountlake Terrace. He met the love his
life, Patricia Ward, through one of his first
patients, “Van” VanNortwick at a musical.
They were soon married on August 28th,
1954 in Longview.
They moved and set up his practice in
Cathlamet in 1955, where they raised their
three children, Kim, Vic and Ron. “Doc”
was the town dentist for over 35 years.
He was very committed to the community in a variety of ways. He served on the
board of the WSDA and was a fixture on
the school board for Wahkiakum County.
He was a member of the Longview Elks
and the Lions Club. He was also known
locally for his part in the Cathlamet Little
Theater and as the villain in the frequent
Melodrama productions.
After retiring he and Pat settled in
Coupeville, Washington and also spent
some time wintering in Wellton, Arizona
where they met new friends.
We will all miss his great sense of humor. He was legendary for the telling of his
Ole and Sven jokes. He always answered
“How are you doing?” with “Better than
most.”
He was dedicated to his family and was
a wonderful husband. He collected stories
and retold them with enthusiasm.

Dr. Erik Pihl

Dr. Erik “Bill” Pihl passed away in the
comfort of his home during the early
morning hours of November 30th, 2013.
his older brother, Per Ivar. He was named
for his paternal grandfather, Erik Otto Pihl,
and because Hildur and Hilding wanted
him to also have a very American name,
he was given “Billy” as a middle name. He
was raised in a household steeped in Swedish culture, values, and faith that became
guideposts for his long life of service to
others. He was a member of the two oldest Swedish Lutheran parishes in the State
of Washington: Gethsemane in Seattle and
then Salem in Mount Vernon.
Pihl grew up in the Sandpoint neighborhood of Seattle and then Bothell when the
family purchased a farm on Pontius Road.
Other siblings joined the Pihl household:
Rose Ann, Ernest, Martin, Elsie and Karen.
Theirs was a close and loving family and
remains so to this day.
A life-long Husky, Pihl graduated from
the University of Washington where he recontinued on page 52

4 8 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

GENERAL DENTIST WANTED —Employee
Type: Regular; Employment duration: Full
time; Location: YV Tech Dental Clinic; Offer Relocation?: Yes; Job Code: 2879. Description: The Yakima Valley Farm Workers
Clinic is dedicated to providing services to
an underserved population and is looking
for dental professionals who understand the
importance of giving back to their communities and who want to make a difference in the
lives of others by providing the best patient
care experience. We are currently in search
of a General Dentist to provide dental services within our mobile dental unit and our
dental clinic located at the YV Tech Campus.
This is a split position with a schedule that
alternates weekly between the two sites. The
mobile unit travels to schools and Head Start
Centers throughout Central Washington providing dental screenings, fluoride treatments,
sealants, and other basic dental care for children. The dental clinic at YV Tech provides
both, a fully staffed community dental clinic
and a learning environment for dental assistant program students. The ideal candidate
has a passion for family dentistry and enjoys
teaching and mentoring others. He or she is
flexible and enjoys the challenges of working
multi-sites. Experience is highly desired. A
few of our benefits include:competitive salary, great work/life balance, comprehensive
benefit package to include health insurance,
profit sharing, retirement, vacation & sick
time, CME, and malpractice coverage, relocation package, loan repayment options, EDR
in all of our clinics. Our Dental Services: Our
comprehensive dental services include an
AEGD residency program. We mentor fourth
year dental students on rotation in our clinics and many of our faculty members receive
affiliate appointments to the University of
Washington, the Arizona School of Dentistry
and Oral Health, and the Lutheran Medical Center AEGD residency program. About
Us: The Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
(YVFWC) is the largest community health
center in the Pacific Northwest. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the highest quality care and offering them affordable
healthcare options. YVFWC provide comprehensive medical, dental, and social services
in over 17 Pacific Northwest communities.
Our medical and dental services are complemented by behavioral health services, nutrition services, drug and alcohol treatment, an
HIV/AIDS clinic, community health services,
the Northwest Community Action Center (which provides employment, training,
mentoring, and other case management and
referral services), and a mobile medical and
dental unit. The Pacific Northwest: You will
have the added benefit of living in the Pacific
Northwest, where you can enjoy spectacular
wilderness areas, scenic ocean beaches, and

crystal-clear lakes and rivers. You can enjoy
fresh seafood, fine Northwest wines, and
a spectacular selection of fruits and vegetables. You will also be within an easy drive
to a thriving metropolitan area, offering fine
dining and shopping, theatres, museums,
and world-class universities. If this sounds
like the opportunity you have been looking
for, please apply online or contact us to learn
more about what we have to offer. Call us
toll free at 877.983.9247 or email us at providerjobs@yvfwc.org.Our mission celebrates
diversity. We are committed to equal opportunity employment. Apply Here: http://www.
Click2apply.net/p8xtdq2

ASSOCIATE OPPORTUNITY — Associate
general dentist opportunity, General Practice
Residency preferred. Three days per week advancing to full time. Established practice in
Bothell/Mill Creek area. Send resume toDentist@wildwooddental.com.
GENERAL DENTIST — We are seeking a
General Dentist for our growing group practice in Yakima, WA. We are looking for someone who is confident and friendly. Earnings
are production based and we are busy! Guaranteed salary of $150K, though actual earnings are higher. Please contact Jolene Babka
at jbabka@applesmiles.com for further information.
PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST — Seeking an experienced General Dentist with experience with
children or a Pediatric Specialist for our established practice in Eastern Washington. We are
looking for someone who is proficient with
children’s dentistry and loves working with
kids. We have a very fun building and team!
Earnings are production based we guarantee
$225K. Please contact Jolene Babka at jbabka@applesmiles.com for further information.
WASHINGTON GENERAL DENTISTS
— Our goal is to partner with our patients
and practice proactive dentistry. We have
excellent opportunities for skilled dentists
and specialists throughout Washington.
For current practice openings please contact Nathalie La Chance: 503-952-2172 or
nlachance@willamettedental.com and visit
www.willamettedental.com/careers. See our
ad on page 50!
PEDIATRIC DENTIST NEEDED: Busy multioffice Orthodontic practice is looking for a
Pediatric Dentist to join the practice. Modern
multi chair offices, existing large patient base
and excellent staff awaits for the right individual for a great opportunity. Please email
CV to lotusking55@gmail.com.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 49

DENTISTS NEEDED — Dental Professionals is recruiting dentists for temporary and
permanent positions throughout western
Washington – Vancouver to Bellingham and
the Olympic Peninsula. No fee to you and
you pick the days and geographic locations
that you are available to work. This is a great
opportunity to earn supplemental income
or find a permanent position. If interested
please call Bob at (206) 767-4851.
ASSOCIATE DENTIST — Prosthodontic/IV
Sedation. Practice seeks experienced dentist
to practice in the Woodinville area, state of
the art equipment and facility. Please fax resumes to (425) 485-0764.
PORTLAND, ORE. — Dentist opportunity.
Do the clinical dentistry you want to do. We
offer paths in which you can manage or open
your own practice with profit sharing. Pdxdentist@yahoo.com.
GENERAL DENTIST WANTED — Olympia,
Wash. Ownership position in $3M+ practice
available for young dentist who would like
to have integrate implant dentistry. If you
do not have any implant experience we will
train at our Seattle based Institute. Please
email inquires to: kellichancey@gmail.com.
ENDODONTIST WANTED — Busy, fee for
service practice in Bellevue is looking for an
Endodontist to work 1 or 2 days per month.
Great compensation. Please email resume to
info@kbehshid.com.
ASSOCIATE WANTED — We are looking for
a dentist to join our general dental practice in
Bellevue one to two days per week. Must be
personable and available Fridays. Please send
resume to jeffmalyondds@yahoo.com
ENDODONTIST WANTED — Endodontist,
Covington Wash. Endo training, WA dental
license. Mail to: J. Hawken, NW Family Dental Care, 27081 185th Ave, #B105, Covington, WA 98042, Fax 253.981.4954 Or email
julie@nwfamilydentalcare.com.
RETIRED DENTISTS — Please consider investing 1-2 days helping low income children
and their families in Warden and Royal City
clinics ( Eastern WA). Compensation and
lodging is available. Call Dorothy (509) 3497420.

classifieds issue 3, januar y 2014

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

Call 1-800-232-3826 for a
free practice appraisal,
a $5,000 value!
AFTCO is the oldest and largest dental practice transition consulting firm in
the United States. AFTCO assists dentists with associateships, purchasing
and selling of practices, and retirement plans. We are there to serve you
through all stages of your career.

Michael A. Giardino, D.D.S. has acquired the practice of
Daniel R. Carey, D.D.S. - Seattle, Washington
AFTCO is pleased to have represented
all parties in these transitions.

Helping dentists buy & sell practices for over 40 years.

WWW.AFTCO.NET

5 0 路 th e wsda ne w s 路 issue 3, januar y 路 2014 路 www.wsda.org

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

OFFICES FOR SALE OR LEASE

PERIODONTIST NEEDED — We are looking for a periodontist who would like to join
a care giving team and become part of patient
care. The periodontist may work two days
a month. The periodontist should have few
years of experience in placing implants. We
are a successful practice in South Seattle and
growing rapidly. Compensation is based on
partnership basis with excellent earning potential. We also offer 401K, Health insurance,
Vision and FSA to our employees. Please send
your resume to BurienDentist@yahoo.com or
call us at (425) 647-4318.

ASSOCIATE WANTED-Seeking FT or PT experienced general dentist to join established
family and cosmetic practice in Puyallup and
Tacoma. This can also lead to a Buy In/Partnership opportunity if desired. Dentist must
be skilled and personable and willing to be
an integral part of the practice in our state of
the art facility. Please e-mail resume to: docvan99@aol.com or fax to: (253) 891-1442.

FOR SALE — A turn-key beautiful dental office is for sale in Bellevue Downtown area,
next to Overlake Hospital. It is five op office,
equipped with Adec chairs, digital intraoral
and Panoramic x-rays, Midmark autoclave,
intraoral camera, washer/dryer, lab equipment, monitors, TV and beautiful furniture.
Everything you need to bring your patients
and start working within a few days. Hurry,
this offer will not last for long, as it is going
for only $125,000. Emailcaringdentistry1@
gmail.com or call (425) 558-9998.

PART-TIME GP IN BELLEVUE — We are
looking for an associate in Bellevue to work
2.5 days Wed-Fri. More days possible. We are
a top office in our area. Beautiful modern office with state of the art technology. Fantastic patients and team. Fully digital. Must be
highly skilled and experienced. Please email
resume to bellevuedentists@gmail.com.

DO YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR PRACTICE?
— I am a motivated private Wash. state licensed
dentist with approved financing for purchasing
a dental practice and building. Email keefejc@
gmail.com or call Jason (509) 675-0029. Looking forward to hearing from you.

REDMOND –Outstanding and unique opportunity to practice here in a completed, beautiful
space in a great location with excellent parking.
If you want to practice in Redmond or want to
upgrade your existing location get more information by calling Sandy at (425) 883-4099.

OFFICES FOR SALE OR LEASE

DENTIST OPPORTUNITY IN GRAHAM,
WASH. — Seeking experienced dentist for
busy, well established, successful, fee for service, group dental practice. Full-time position
available. Excellent immediate income opportunity ($180,000 to $375,000 + per year)
depending on productive ability and hours
worked. Secure, long-term position. You can
concentrate on optimum patient treatment
without practice management duties. Modern well-equipped office with excellent staff,
and lab services provided. If you are bright,
energetic with a desire to be productive, very
personable, and people oriented, and have
great general and specialty clinical skills, Fax
resume to Dr. Hanssen at (425) 484-2110.

OFFICE FOR SALE — General practice on
the Olympic Peninsula in very desirable location for over 30 years. Collections consistently around $900,000. Experienced and talented team. Over 2,000 loyal active patients.
Fourequipped ops. olypendmd@gmail.com.

FOR LEASE — Great location, over 2000
square feet, five operating suites in beautiful Olympia, conveniently located on Martin
Way close to St. Peter Hospital. Over 30 years
of quality dental care provided here. Contact
Don at uncledgh@aol.com.

ASSOCIATE WANTED — At Hilde Family
Dentistry, our busy office has created an excellent opportunity for someone who wants
to work hard, treat great patients, and work
with a dedicated team. We provide all aspects
of general dentistry to our patients, and overdelivery of customer service is our goal. Our
office utilizes digital charting, digital x-rays,
and other specialized equipment. Our administrative team will handle the marketing,
generating new patients, and the management
of the office. We are looking for a team player
who is confident, energetic and a people person. We offer great income potential and excellent working conditions with a motivated
team working towards a common goal. Position is for 2-3 days per week with opportunity
for more hours. Please send resume or CV,
along with a cover letter to hildefamilydentistry@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

GENERAL DENTISTS — Seeking FT and PT
experienced general dentists for our offices in
Lynnwood and North Seattle. Guaranteed salary plus additional benefits. Please Email your
CV to dentalcareers2014@gmail.com or call
206-407-6804 for more information.

WEST SEATTLE PRACTICE FOR SALE —
Five ops, great location and steady staff staff.
Tons of work to be completed. Lots of specialty
referred out. 660k in 2012. $429,503 contact
John (503) 320-8991.
FOR LEASE — Turn key and fully equipped
dental office in greater Olympia area. Located
with close proximity to I-5; great visibility and
easy access. Suite is 2,000+ sq.ft., five operatories, great natural light, ample parking, staff
lounge, and private office. Ready for immediate use, space available February 2014. Email:
Hannajack@comcast.net or call (360) 7894841.
FOR SALE OR LEASE — Attractive dental
office, 5701 Bedford St., Pasco, Wash. New
construction in 2003. 3,450 sq. ft. main level
with 1,350 sq. ft. basement. Complete details
can be obtained from Derrick Stricker, NAI
Tri-Cities. (509) 430-8533 or derrick@dirkstricker.com.
FOR LEASE-A great opportunity available for
a general dentist or specialist, office in Silverdale, Wash, located on Dyes Inlet with a view
of Mt. Ranier. Over 2,000 square feet with
four operating suites. Dentistry provided
there since 1985. Contact David at toothexam@hotmail.com.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 51

FOR SALE — Lakewood WASH. Great location near the mall. Four op remodeled dental
practice. Adec cabinets. Digital radiographs.
Intra-oral camera. Kavo Handpieces. Very
low overhead. Asking 175,000. Please send
inquires to practiceop@gmail.com.
FOR SALE — Downtown Seattle dental
practice for sale. Long-established, small
boutique practice with three operatories,
Dentrix, Dexis, and Kavo handpieces. The office is nicely appointed with Stelty cabinets,
and monitors and computers in the operatories. Asking $225,000, send all inquiries to:
downtownseattledds@gmail.com.
SPACE SHARING OPPORTUNITY — Presently working three days/ week and have
ample room to share space in our five chair
downtown Seattle general practice office
with in-house lab and technician. Bring your
patients and staff and share the rent, utilities
and supplies. Contact Rick Nicolini, DDS at
(206) 310-5709 or drnicolini@hotmail.com.
OFFICE SPACE TO SHARE — Excellent opportunity for specialist who wants to work
one or two days a week or a start-up practice for any practitioner. Front office support.
Contact Breezy at (425) 481-1038 or email office@gentletouchdental.com.

classifieds issue 3, januar y 2014

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

in memoriam continued

in memoriam, continued from page 48

ceived undergrad, graduate and post-graduate degrees in dentistry and orthodontics.
He was an ardent Husky fan and supporter
of UW athletics.
After dental school, he served as a Captain in the United States Air Force providing mobile dental services for remote bases
in the Pacific Northwest.
He married Louise Edholm on August
12, 1956; she was the great joy of his life.
Bill and Louise moved to Mount Vernon,
Washington in 1959 where he established
his orthodontic practice.
He and Louise have four children: Erik,
Andrea, Arne, and Paul all born and raised
in Mount Vernon. He was proud of each
of them and he always admired their hard
work and supported their passions.
Pihl loved the Skagit Valley and the great
outdoors: hiking, climbing, skiing, hunting and fishing were all avid pursuits. He
loved nature and wild places, the sound of
glaciers calving above an alpine tarn and
sea spray coming over the bow. He was especially fond of fishing in Alaska with Louise and his brothers and sisters.
Pihl brought that same energy and vision to a life of dedicated service to many
local and national volunteer activities. Always ready and willing to lend a hand, He
helped many organizations with both his
philanthropy and his time. He was actively
involved with Holden Village since its inception in 1962 and served on its Board in
the 1960’s and 1970’s. In the 1970’s Pihl
served on the Lutheran Church in America’s national World Hunger task force. He
was an active member of Mount Vernon
Rotary, an organization he admired greatly
for its global impact and commitment to
service above self. During the last decades
of his life, he spent many hours with a
shovel and his beloved backhoe moving
trees and plantings for the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation near
Mount Vernon. Strong believers in access
to higher education, He and Louise created
a scholarship endowment in Hildur and
Hilding Pihl’s name at Pacific Lutheran
University.
Pihl was preceded in death by his parents Hildur and Hilding, his sister Rose
Ann, and his brother Ivar. He is survived
by his wife Louise; children Erik, Andrea,
Arne, and Paul; brothers Ernest (Zora) and
Martin (Darlene); sisters Elsie Soule and
Karen Leander; sisters-in-law Joan Pihl
and Hazel Edholm; nieces and nephews;
grand nieces and nephews; and his faithful
hunting dogs Mocha and Flicka.

University of Washington is an aDa CerP reCogniZeD ProviDer
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not
approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

5 2 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

OFFICE CONSTRUCTION

FOR LEASE — Factoria /Bellevue. 2,400 sq
ft dental practice for sublease. Perfect location in medical/dental building for specialist
or general dentist. We have negotiated excellent lease terms for this busy Bellevue area.
Please email factoriaforlease@gmail.com for
more information.

CONSTANTINE BUILDERS INC. (CBI) —
WSDA endorses CBI as their preferred builder
of Dental facilities with over 25 years of experience from ground up buildings, renovations, remodels, and interior tenant improvement projects. All projects are completed on
time and within budget. CBI provides the
highest level of quality service with integrity
that exceeds our client’s expectation. Please
see our display ad on page two and website at
www.constantinebuilders.com for additional
information and how you can become another satisfied client. Telephone (206) 957-4400,
O. George Constantine.

EQUIPMENT WANTED
EQUIPMENT WANTED — Looking for
w ide ra nge of used equipment. Adec,
Kavo, Midmark, Pelton Crane, Midwest,
Gendex, Air Techniques, Apollo, Porter,
Cerec, Sirona. If you want to sell equipment, call (206) 260-3563.
SERVICES
EQUILIBR ATION SEMINARS — Learn a
simplified method of performing equilibrations using models in this hands-on seminar.
In just one half-day seminar you’ll learn
how to: simplify the entire process, do a
complete equilibration in about 30 minutes,
and profit from doing it. Learn how to sell
it, obtain insurance coverage and improve
your bottom line. Dr. Culver has been doing
these simplified equilibrations for nearly 40
years and he can show you how to do the
same thing. Seminars in your area: Portland,
Ore., Apr 25, 2014, Seattle, Wash., May 9,
2014, Vancouver, BC, May 23, 2014. Receive
$75 off tuition by registering 20 days prior
to the seminar date. For more information
and to register go to
www.equilibrationseminars.com.
LOCUM TENENS DENTIST — Want to take
a vacation? Need a knowledgeable, reliable ad
personable dentist to help with your practice
while you’re away? Experienced locum tenens
dentist will provide exceptional care to your
patients. Over 25 years of private practice general dentistry. Serving all of Washington and
Oregon. References available upon request.
Contact Bob Houtz, DDS at (360) 457-9568.
MOBILE I.V. SEDATION — Have your patients treated in your office with safe and
proven techniques. Set your practice apart
from others. Attract new patients. Increase
quality referrals. Neil E. Bergstrom, DDS
(360) 825-6596.
GUEST DENTIST — Will fill in at your
practice for maternity leave, injury, illness,
family emergency, etc. 35 years of general
dental practice experience. Personable and
patient oriented. Dr. Ed Kardong (206)
842-6300.

th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org · 53

Classified ads in the WSDA News
is easy to arrange. Simply email
your ad, the number of issues you
would like the ad to run, your credit
card number, expiration date and
CVC code to rob@wsda.org and
you’ll be set.
If you prefer not to send your credit
card information via email, you
must first email your ad, then follow
up with a phone call to provide your
credit card information. Without the
payment information, your ad will
not run. Sorry, we do not bill for
classified ads. Pricing is as follows:
For members: $50 for the first 30
words, $1 per word for each word
over 30.
For non-members: $100 for the first
30 words, $1 per word for each
word over 30.must be made via
email.

You are among those loyal citizens who managed to persevere against impossible odds
and enroll in Obamacare. Thanks to the 2015 Washington Legislature, you are now entitled
an additional benefit: dental care. As the provider of near-monopoly dental benefits in our
State, our firm has been selected as the prime dental insurer. We know you have heard
of our ubiquitous company, Washington State Dentists Serving $2 [Management]. We are
pleased to offer WSDS $2 [M]’s Premier Omegacare dental supplement to Obamacare.
As you are a current recipient of Medicare coverage (we know because we are especially
good at accessing government data bases to check on our people), we want to highlight
those features of our Omegacare coverage that will be of the greatest importance to you:*
1. Oral STD treatment (NSA tracks your cellphone and has informed us you spend
winters in Arizona: hot tubs, seniors on steroids, etc.) You need this.
2. Sports mouth guards.
3. Prenatal oral fluoride drops.
4. Orthodontic care.
5. Sealants
*Not covered: prophies, restorations, crowns, bridges, surgery and extractions
Log on to the Washington State Exchange and sign up today. Our fees are extremely
low (mostly because we’re desperate because 25% of our prior enrollees have had their
policies canceled by Obamacare because they were substandard “junk” similar to the one
we just introduced for TeaUnstationary, Inc). And if your income is less than the average
25 year old living in his mother’s basement, you will receive a subsidy that will be sent
directly to WSDS $2 [M] so you don’t have to worry about writing that check.
Don’t like our Premier Omegacare Plan offering, try our P.P.O. (Piss Poor Options) Plan.
If you peruse our L.S.P. (List of Schnookered Providers) on the website, you will see we
continue to defy P.T. Barnum’s axiom. And that, Dear Friend, in the insurance game, is
pure gold—a restorative medium we will pay for at 2001 prices (of gold but not crowns).
Check it out.
And speaking of gold, we also offer our G.O.L.D. Plan: (Getting Out of Limited Dentistry). The providers under the G.O.L.D. plan take nothing but cash! The network is very
exclusive and available to folks like Bill Gates and Insurance Execs.
Looking forward to having your money,
D’wire James, C-RipOff-O
WSDS $2 [Management]

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not
necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the
WSDA.

5 4 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 3, januar y · 2014 · www.wsda.org

“On a positive note, the video of the incident has gone on to become an internet sensation”

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
WASHINGTON DENTISTS’ INSURANCE AGENCY CAN HELP
Call us today and ask about the 10% discount we give to all
WSDA members on disability insurance - just one more benefit of membership.
Life
Disability
Long Term Care
Professional Liability
Practice Loan Protection
Health Savings Accounts
Business Owner Coverage
Group and Individual Medical

Feeling lucky?
You may never really know how good your liability insurance company is
until a claim is filed against you.

We understand the temptation to save money on things like insurance premiums.
The problem is, when a malpractice claim is filed against you, you want the best
service, the brightest minds, and the most capable attorneys on your side - answering
your questions. Those other guys? They’re not as good as us, and they’re not local —
and they simply may not be as easy to reach as we are.
Go ahead, give it a try. Pick up the phone and call us today. We want to talk with you.